YouTube is leading the race to snatch exclusive rights for the National Football League’s NFL Sunday Ticket package.

A recent report from The Wall Street Journal claims that the streaming giant is in “advanced talks” with the company for the rights. The two companies could reach an agreement any day now.

The exact terms of the deal are still unknown. For the past 25+ years, DirecTV has owned the exclusive rights for NFL Sunday Ticket.

In contrast, the satellite TV service reportedly pays around $1.5 billion annually for the rights.

Apple and Amazon were also recently linked in talks with the National Football League to stream the NFL Sunday Ticket.

However, Apple recently pulled out of the deal, claiming it doesn’t “see the logic” in Sunday Ticket’s $3.5 billion price tag.

We haven’t heard much from Amazon about a potential deal, but the recent WSJ report suggests that YouTube will end up striking a deal.

NFL Sunday Ticket is the NFL’s yearly subscription service to unlock many weekly games. It lets viewers watch all out-of-market Sunday football games throughout the NFL season.

The service has been in the hands of DirecTV since it launched in 1994. But it will move to a streaming service for the 2023 season.

This represents a major shift from sports leagues to focus more on streaming platforms as consumers continue to “cut the cord.”

Amazon has a deal with the NFL for Thursday Night Football. Additionally, Apple recently signed a deal to bring all Major League Soccer games to Apple TV.

We expect more sports leagues will strike similar deals in the near future, and YouTube TV could end up the home for more than just NFL Sunday Ticket soon.

Have any thoughts on this? Carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

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• Your YouTube TV subscription just got cheaper – here’s why

The post YouTube is now the home of NFL Sunday Ticket appeared first on KnowTechie.

Can Instagram hope to compete against TikTok, though?

Here’s a look at what Meta’s report means and how it fits into more prominent social media trends.

Reels come out on top for Meta

As of Q1 2022, Reels have become one of the biggest draws for Instagram users. Meta announced in its 2022 first quarterly earnings call that Reels now account for over 20% of time spent on Instagram.

This is significant considering that Instagram is the 4th most popular social media platform globally, two places ahead of TikTok, its biggest competition.

Reels launched on Instagram in 2019 and have since expanded to include a few different video lengths, plus additional editing and social features.

Mark Zuckerberg announced in Meta’s Q1 2022 earnings call that Meta would be increasingly monetizing Instagram Reels moving forward. This means users can expect more ads worked into their Reels feeds.

Short-form video monetization is still in its early stages in 2022, but Instagram Stories signal is where it could be in a few years. Stories were Instagram’s move to compete with Snapchat a few years back.

Considering that Snapchat is no longer even in the top 10 most popular social media platforms, Instagram’s strategy seems to be working.

The role of creators

Can Instagram take on TikTok, the world’s fastest-growing social media platform? TikTok has become a titan when it comes to views and reach.

However, creators don’t have it as easy on TikTok as on other platforms.

For example, YouTube has reported much higher monetization, and creator payouts than TikTok can offer its creators directly.

This is important because big creators can dramatically influence where audiences spend their time online.

Creators have become invaluable for marketers, as well.

Research shows people are more likely to want to share their positive experiences with a brand, which puts a lot of power in the hands of influencers.

If TikTok isn’t offering enough monetization incentives for creators to stick around, it’s possible some could transition over primarily to Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts.

A jump like this would boost both monetization and viewership on either platform. But, of course, Reels and Shorts need to have the viewership to convince creators to make the switch.

What Reels reveal about social media trends

Over recent years, Instagram has notably replicated the features of other social media platforms, namely Snapchat and TikTok.

A similar strategy is often found among smaller phone manufacturers who copy design elements from Apple. Does this strategy work in social media, though?

Instagram has remained one of the world’s most popular social media platforms year after year, even as trends have changed.

Does Instagram’s dominance over Snapchat with the inclusion of Stories hint at the future of TikTok in the face of Instagram Reels?

As of 2022, it isn’t easy to imagine TikTok going the way of Vine, even if Instagram Reels are experiencing growth.

TikTok is arguably the fastest-growing social media platform in history. In 2021 alone, it gained 740 million new users and experienced 400% year-over-year growth in first-time installs.

TikTok is also only two spots behind Instagram in worldwide social media platform rankings. That’s shocking, considering TikTok launched in 2017 while Instagram has been around since 2010.

In addition to TikTok’s staggeringly fast growth, it’s also worth taking a look at the demographics of each platform. Research shows 67% of Gen-Z teens are on TikTok, while only 62% are on Instagram.

Threatening to both platforms, 95% of teens are on YouTube, which is going up against both TikTok and Instagram with its own Shorts feature.

Meta’s future in the face of TikTok

This data indicates some key takeaways from Meta’s report on Reels viewership. Young people — especially teens — are swiftly getting behind TikTok as their main social hub online.

With Instagram beginning to lag in popularity and Facebook dropping off the grid among Gen-Z, Meta is getting concerned about the future of its social media platforms.

Additionally, creators are finding other ways to make money from their TikTok content besides the meager earnings directly from the app.

For example, the top seven TikTok creators earn upwards of $4 million annually, most of which comes from revenue streams beyond TikTok’s limited Creator Fund.

TikTok may not have much money to offer creators directly, but it makes up for it with a massive audience and a fantastic algorithm.

For Meta to hope to compete with TikTok, Reels viewership needs to continue growing significantly.

The Reels recommendation algorithm on Instagram will also need to improve since the algorithm is one of the most-loved features of TikTok.

The Reels vs. TikTok battle continues

Instagram has continued to evolve over the years to stay on top of changing social media formats and trends.

Meta’s report about Reels viewership is a promising start, but it pales compared to the growth TikTok has experienced since 2020.

As these two platforms compete with each other and YouTube Shorts, TikTok remains the platform to beat.

Have any thoughts on this? Carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• Instagram will start treating most videos as Reels
• You can now cross-post Reels on Instagram and Facebook
• Instagram really wants you to stop sharing TikToks as Reels
• How long can Instagram Reels be?

The post Meta: Instagram users spend over 20% of their time watching Reels appeared first on KnowTechie.

The company announced it’s rolling out Primetime Channels, a new feature that adds shows and movies from 30 different services to YouTube.

Now, it’s worth noting the content isn’t free. Users will still need a subscription to the streaming service. That said, there will be options to sign up through YouTube.

So far, 35 partners are on board. The list includes Paramount+, Showtime, AMC+, and more. In addition, the company says services like NBA League Pass and other channels are coming soon. 

After signing up, users can expect to see content from their streaming services right on the YouTube homepage, along with “curated trailers, behind-the-scenes footage and cast interviews.”

YouTube adds, “recommendations will also include programs from Primetime Channels, delivering a personalized selection of content across YouTube.”

Another interesting feature, The Verge points out, is Primetime Channels content will work like any other YouTube video. Meaning viewers can like, dislike, and leave a comment on any video.

An early version of Primetime Channels is available now and can be accessed in the US from the Movies & TV hub. 

Have any thoughts on this? Carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• YouTube rolls out a fresh redesign – here’s what’s new
• What are YouTube handles, and how do they work?
• YouTube Premium family plans are going up in price
• YouTube pulls back on Premium subscription test for 4K video

The post New Primetime Channels adds streaming services to YouTube appeared first on KnowTechie.

The company revealed its latest design updates in a blog post on its website earlier this week. The redesign includes several new features aimed at improving the user experience on the app.

Additionally, the platform is being revamped to bring more color into the picture. And it does that with the introduction of ambient mode for mobile, web, and smart TVs.

Ambient mode uses “dynamic color sampling” to bring the color effects of videos you’re watching to the background of the app when using its dark theme.

You’ll start to see the color of the video you’re watching bleed into the app itself. The platform is also making its dark theme even darker to show off those colors even more.

New features coming to YouTube’s video player

Adding color is just the beginning of the new YouTube redesign. The platform is revamping the page underneath the videos you’re watching.

Now, links in the description of videos will be transformed into buttons. And the familiar like, share, download, and save buttons have been changed to a pill-shaped icon underneath videos.

Finally, the platform is adding the long-awaited pinch-to-zoom and precise seeking features that it has been testing this year.

Pinch-to-zoom will let you zoom in on videos on your iOS or Android device. You can let go of the pinch and the video will continue to play in the zoomed-in setting.

With precise seeking, you have even more control than before when looking for certain parts of a video.

Dragging or swiping up while seeking will bring up a row of thumbnails from the video so you can easily navigate to the part of the video you’re looking for.

YouTube started rolling these features out to users earlier this week. But don’t panic if you don’t see any of them on your devices quite yet.

These features tend to roll out gradually, and that is the case with this YouTube redesign, too. The updates will roll out over the next few weeks, so keep your eye out for YouTube’s new look.

Have any thoughts on this? Carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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• Is YouTube going to require a Premium subscription for 4K?
• How to turn on closed captions on YouTube

The post YouTube rolls out a fresh redesign – here’s what’s new appeared first on KnowTechie.

This change will give YouTube more social features and make connecting with your favorite creators easier.

Of course, this could have unintended effects, so we hope the existing moderation tools are being updated to handle handles.

The big difference between the existing system of individual URLs and the new handles is that it’s available to everyone.

To get custom URLs, you need 100+ subscribers. To get a handle, you only need a YouTube account.

With handles being unique, anyone whose name is their brand will want to grab their handle ASAP.

So, what is a YouTube handle, and what does it mean for creators?

What is a YouTube handle?

Handles have been around for decades since Citizens Band (CB) radio operators in the 1970s.

They easily transferred to online forums, social media, and chat rooms, and now they’re on YouTube.

Handles usually start with the @ symbol. They can be used to mention other users, so comments or posts appear in their notifications.

YouTube is also implementing this soon. For now, you can reserve your preferred handle, this way, no one else can’t get it first.

Unlike channel names, handles are unique–so choose wisely.

How do you get a YouTube handle?

YouTube is in the process of rolling out access to handles. That process is going to happen over the next few weeks.

On November 14, your current channel name will become your handle if you haven’t chosen one.

You can change your handle anytime, and your existing channel URLs will redirect to your new handle URL.

That’s good, as creators won’t have to find everywhere they posted a channel link to swap them out.

To change your handle, open a browser and go to youtube.com/handle.

You’ll see if your account is eligible yet, or you’ll get a message saying you’ll have to wait.

You can go back to that URL anytime to change your handle.

You’ll need to follow a few rules, like not duplicating someone else’s handle or using violent, offensive, spammy, or sexualized words.

How do you use the feature?

To use YouTube handles, you’ll make use of the handy @ button on your keyboard.

You’ll be able to use them to shout out other creators, like in the comments under videos, chat, or anywhere else you’re able to type on YouTube.

The handle will be prominently on your channel and any Shorts you upload. If you already have a personalized URL, that will become your first handle unless you choose another name.

Right now, handles are being reserved for future use.

Once they go live, your YouTube channel page will be at ‘youtube.com/@your.handle’. Any previous URLs will still work, though.

You should claim your YouTube handle ASAP

Whatever your thoughts about YouTube adding handles, you should still claim yours. You should always claim your favored username on any platform.

Some people even say you should do it on platforms you have no interest in using, as it stops impersonators from doing unsavory things.

That advice goes a long way on public platforms like YouTube.

Have any thoughts on this? Carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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The post What are YouTube handles, and how do they work? appeared first on KnowTechie.

Initially brought to our attention by users on Reddit, Redditors noticed the new requirement when trying to watch 4K YouTube videos.

The test required that users sign up for YouTube Premium, a $12 per month subscription service that primarily offers an ad-free viewing experience, before they could watch videos in higher definition.

READ MORE: What are YouTube handles, and how do they work?

While the testing wasn’t widespread, several users reported seeing the new prompt. But as of now, YouTube has halted the test completely.

YouTube is known for testing interesting features and ways to get its users to sign up for Premium subscriptions.

Last month, the company began (and ended) a test that served up to 11 unskippable ads to free users before a video.

YouTube frankly wants you to subscribe to Premium

YouTube’s Premium subscription offers tons of benefits.

It gives you completely ad-free viewing, which can help you avoid all of those frustrating unskippable ads.

Premium also lets you download videos for offline viewing. Plus, you can let videos play in the background with a locked phone.

That’s a super useful feature for listening to things like podcasts or other long-form content that you don’t necessarily need to watch.

Still, YouTube is continuously looking for ways to boost its subscriber count. The platform reported reaching the 50 million subscriber mark late last year.

50 million subscribers are pretty impressive for a platform that likely still makes the vast majority of its money from ad revenue.

But it’s on the lower end compared to traditional streaming subscriptions, like Disney Plus’s 130 million and Netflix’s 220 million users.

So be prepared for YouTube to continue trying to lure you into paying for YouTube Premium. At least you can take some peace knowing that many of its tests fail after a few days or weeks.

Have any thoughts on this? Carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

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The post YouTube pulls back on Premium subscription test for 4K video appeared first on KnowTechie.

Some users on Reddit recently posted about how YouTube was requiring a Premium subscription to watch videos in 4K resolution.

In screenshots, the option for 4K was still there. But it looks like tapping the 4K option would require you to upgrade to a premium subscription.

READ MORE: What are YouTube handles, and how do they work?

It’s unclear exactly who YouTube is targeting with this new YouTube Premium 4K requirement.

One commenter said that they still have access, while another said that it was true and rolling out in multiple locations.

This could be a sort of test from Google and YouTube. And it could even be region locked to certain places.

Tech companies are known for gradually rolling out new features and, in this case, limitations in specific locations. We could be seeing the same thing with the new YouTube Premium requirement for 4K.

As you can imagine, Reddit users don’t seem too happy about the potential change. One user said, “I might quit if YouTube and Susan keep acting like fucking greedy clowns.”

Another user says, “Imagine if they make it lower and lower so now I have to watch videos in 144p like it’s 2010.” Why would you wish that evil on us?

For now, there’s not a lot of context for where this new limitation is coming from. YouTube hasn’t come out with any sort of statement or explanation, and it’s possible that we don’t hear anything for a while.

Hopefully, this is just a test, and the platform pulls back before making it official for everyone. But be prepared to potentially lose 4K videos on YouTube in the future if you’re not a Premium subscriber.

Have any thoughts on this? Carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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The post Is YouTube going to require a Premium subscription for 4K? appeared first on KnowTechie.

The new YouTube podcast homepage recently went live, according to findings by the folks over at 9to5Google.

This is coming months after the company was rumored to be working on a podcast service after hiring Kai Chuk as “Podcast Lead” to drive its podcast project.

YouTube’s new podcast homepage

The new podcast service can be accessed directly via YouTube at YouTube.com/podcasts. US users can access popular shows like NBC News, H3 Podcast, and the Pat McAfee Show, among others.

Users will also get podcast recommendations based on their subscription and watch history, as well as popular podcast creators to follow. There are currently 100 popular podcast creators featured on the platform.

The Podcast page shares the same menu with YouTube and also features a search box. Additionally, there are dedicated sections for Comedy, True Crime, Sports, Music, and TV and Film.

According to YouTube’s Paul Pennington, “The podcast destination page on YouTube helps users explore new and popular podcast episodes, shows and creators, as well as recommend podcast content.”

Podcasts, podcasts, podcasts

More and more platforms are beginning to embrace podcasts as a viable content marketing tool. Recently, streaming giant Spotify also started a video podcast service.

Similarly, Apple Podcasts recently got a much-needed update and general overhaul for better performance.

The company recently started testing its pinch-to-zoom feature as well as adding a watermark to YouTube Shorts just like TikTok.

Have any thoughts on this? Carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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The post YouTube now has a dedicated podcasts page for US users appeared first on KnowTechie.

This is similar to what you find on TikTok videos. You can tell that a video is from TikTok due to its recognizable watermark that hovers and moves on each video posted to the platform.

Previously, YouTube creators could download and share their Shorts without any watermark. That’s now changing thanks to this new update.

YouTube Shorts watermarking feature

The new watermark feature was announced via a support thread.

According to the post, “If you’re a creator who downloads your Shorts from YouTube Studio to share across other platforms, you’ll now find a watermark added to your downloaded content.”

READ MORE: YouTube now has a dedicated podcasts page for US users

It further stated, “We’ve added a watermark to the Shorts you download so your viewers can see that the content you’re sharing across platforms can be found on YouTube Shorts.”

The “feature” will start rolling out on desktop over the next couple of weeks. But on mobile, the rollout could take months.

You don’t have to do anything to get the watermark. It will be applied automatically when you try to download and cross-post YouTube Shorts.

The watermarks war

TikTok adds a watermark to its videos along with the creator’s handle. The bouncing handle is attention-grabbing and prevents cropping.

While this is great for exposure, competitors’ algorithms can recognize the source and downrank them like Meta does.

If you create Shorts solely for YouTube, there’s nothing to worry about. But, if you plan to share videos cross-platform, consider creating them with third-party software and then cross-posting to social media to avoid the watermarks war.

Have any thoughts on this? Carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

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The post YouTube Shorts will soon watermark videos just like TikTok appeared first on KnowTechie.

This much was revealed by the Wall Street Journal. The publication stressed that the channel store has been in the works for nearly 18 months and that it may go live as early as this fall.

YouTube currently allows its own subscribers to customize their viewing experience by adding external streaming services from select partners. It also allows you to buy or rent movies.

YouTube’s new streaming services marketplace

Although YouTube has yet to officially confirm or debunk the news, insiders familiar with the matter told WSJ that the company is currently in talks with potential partners.

It is also rumored that YouTube is negotiating a revenue-sharing formula with its potential partners.

The video giant is leveraging the fact that since most people discover new videos via trailers on its platform, it makes sense to offer them the ability to buy them in-app.

READ MORE: YouTube now has a dedicated podcasts page for US users

By reducing the number of platforms and steps to purchase, users will likely spend more for a hassle-free experience.

Also, participating platforms can still continue to offer their services on their respective platforms.

The streaming space gets steaming hot

Starz CEO, Jeffrey Hirsch tells WSJ that a streaming services marketplace creates a better experience for users, gives providers exposure, and increases customer loyalty.

The new channel store is coming at a time when the streaming space is becoming more competitive. For instance, TikTok recently filed a patent for TikTok Music; its own music streaming service.

Similarly, Spotify recently launched its own ticketing website where it sells live event tickets directly to customers.

Have any thoughts on this? Carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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The post YouTube is working on a ‘channel store’ for streaming services appeared first on KnowTechie.

This new pinch-to-zoom feature is currently being tested in beta, according to 9to5Google. Come September 1, the new pinch-to-zoom feature will be removed from testing.

At present, there is no word from Google on when this feature could see a full release.

In the meantime, YouTube is testing the feature to gather critical user feedback that will shape its design and functionality once it launches.

YouTube’s new zoom-in feature

The new pinch-to-zoom gesture feature is available on the YouTube mobile app for testing and will work for all videos, whether in portrait mode or full-screen landscape mode.

Pinch-to-zoom technology was absent in earlier phones but is now a staple in just about every smartphone device out there.

READ MORE: YouTube now has a dedicated podcasts page for US users

It uses a pinch gesture (moving two fingers together) to zoom in or out on an object in order to adjust its size and focus.

How to zoom in on a YouTube video

If you’re on a YouTube Premium package, here’s how to check out the new pinch-to-zoom gesture feature.

Go to YouTube on your phone or on the website. Click or tap on your profile image, scroll all the way down, and click on Settings.

You should now be able to see a Try new features section. Here’s where you’ll find the zoom-in feature. You can use the toggle switch to enable it.

But, you may need to wait a while

However, note that the pinch-to-zoom feature may take a little while to become enabled on your device since it is still in testing.

The Verge reports that once it is active, the zoom-in feature can let you zoom in up to 8x. YouTube currently supports zooming in on a video using different methods like adjusting your browser’s zooming level.

You can also enable or disable full-screen mode to view videos in different sizes. You can also use the new picture-in-picture mode for iPhone and iPad, or use the theater mode on your browser to adjust your screen size or zoom level.

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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The post YouTube is testing a new ‘pinch to zoom’ feature appeared first on KnowTechie.

Closed captions allow you to watch a YouTube video with the words or lyrics displayed on-screen. You can use closed captions on YouTube both on desktop and on the mobile app.

With closed captions turned on, you can mute a video and still follow along with the dialogue or lyrics without distracting others. It also means you get context clues, like sounds and the tone of the music.

This is great if you share a room or workspace. It’s also a lifesaver if you’re deaf, hard of hearing, hearing impaired, or a visual learner.

In this article, you’ll learn more about how closed captions work on YouTube, how to enable and disable them, and how to manage your closed captions settings.

How closed captions work on YouTube

YouTube encourages creators to add captions to increase accessibility and engagement. However, it’s an expensive and time-consuming process.

As an alternative, YouTube introduced automatic closed captions, which use speech recognition technology to auto-generate subtitles.

However, there’s a catch; autogenerated captions aren’t always correct. This is due to factors such as speech recognition technology limitations, accent, and background noises.

Thankfully, YouTube allows creators to create and add their own captions to eliminate errors or ambiguities. With manual captions, viewers can easily follow along and understand the context completely.

Viewers can also view a transcript of captions in a side pane and customize its looks and feel. Additionally, they can easily disable it if they don’t want captions.

Let’s now see how to enable or disable closed captions on YouTube both on desktop and on the mobile app.

How to get closed captions on YouTube (desktop)

Enabling or disabling closed captions on YouTube is pretty straightforward. Simply follow these steps:

There you have it – how to add or remove closed captions on YouTube’s desktop site. Now, let’s move on to the mobile app.

How to enable closed captions on YouTube (mobile app)

If you prefer to use YouTube on your iPhone or Android smartphone, here’s how to enable or disable closed captions on the YouTube mobile app:

1. To enable closed captions, launch the YouTube app and tap on the video you want to caption

2. At the top of the screen, you’ll see the CC button, tap on it. You’ll see a notification pop-up at the bottom of your screen. However, unlike on desktop, you’ll not see a red underline in the YouTube app

3. To disable closed captions, simply tap on the CC button again. Look out for the pop-up notification at the bottom of your screen letting you know it has been disabled

The process is essentially the same for Android and iOS, so keep that in mind if you end up switching between two different mobile operating systems.

How to manage your closed caption settings

YouTube allows you to customize or control how closed captions work for you on individual and all videos, even when using your phone as a second screen.

To further customize captions on YouTube for the current video:

1. Click on the Settings gear icon to the right of the CC button

2. Click on Subtitles/CC. You can also change the annotations, playback speed, and quality

3. For most videos, you only get the option to auto-generate captions in English or to auto-translate them to other supported languages. In that case, click on Auto-translate and select from the dozens of languages available

4. For even more customization options like font type, color, size, and background color, among others; click on Options to your right-hand side

You can follow this exact same process to manage your closed captions settings on YouTube for any particular video.

Managing your closed caption settings for all YouTube videos

To change your captions settings for all videos, go to the captions settings page on your desktop and select your preferences. Your changes will be saved and applied automatically.

For the mobile app, you can keep captions on by default for all videos by adjusting captions visibility in your device settings.

Adjusting your closed captions settings gives you even more control over subtitles when you watch YouTube videos.

Never miss dialogue or lyrics again

With closed captions for YouTube videos, both creators and viewers have a lot to gain. The best part, viewers can easily enable or disable it at will. It will also work even if you use dark mode on YouTube.

You can also enable it for some videos and disable it for others, it’s all up to you. With closed captions, you can watch your favorite YouTube videos just the way you like them.

So, whether you’re in a meeting, at your desk, or on the go, you can always keep up with the YouTube video dialogues or lyrics that matter to you.

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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The post How to turn on closed captions on YouTube appeared first on KnowTechie.

Once installed, you’ll be able to watch almost any YouTube video on your Apple Watch. In all two inches of glorious OLED. Well, not exactly all two inches, as your Apple Watch screen is mostly square, and YouTube videos are mostly landscape orientation.

Still, if you’ve ever dreamed about the day, you could watch your favorite YouTubers from your wrist, that day is today. No more picking up your iPhone to watch videos, all you need is to turn your wrist.

The app is almost as feature-filled as the official YouTube app for iOS. You get support for watching, searching, home feed, curation, and custom recommendations. Even better, it stores your watch history too. You can see info on likes, views, and descriptions. Lastly, video captions are also supported.

The home feed is generated from trending videos on YouTube when you first open the app. Then the WatchTube algorithm learns your watching habits and adjusts the feed. This is all done offline, on the Apple Watch, to ensure your privacy.

What’s slightly annoying is that your WatchTube library is completely local. That means any saved for later videos only show up in the WatchTube app, with no way to link them to your main YouTube account.

Maybe that will change in a future update, as the developer seems dedicated to improving the experience.

One of those future improvements will be an audio-only mode, so you can listen to music without keeping the screen on. That will support high-quality audio, which is always nice.

You can download WatchTube from the App Store. You’ll need an Apple Watch running watchOS 6 or later.

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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The post WatchTube is an app that lets you watch YouTube on an Apple Watch appeared first on KnowTechie.

Once connected, the mobile device gets used for interactive services. That’s things like commenting and liking videos, shopping, or any of the other associated actions you normally can do on YouTube.

All you need to use it is to sign into the same YouTube account on both devices. Open YouTube on your mobile device while a video is playing on your TV and tap the Connect button. You can see how it works below.

READ MORE: WatchTube is an app that lets you watch YouTube on an Apple Watch

YouTube says it made this change after looking at how people watched things on their TVs. Did you know over 80 percent of people surveyed say they use a second device while watching TV shows?

Over 70 percent of those use the second device to look up things related to what they’re watching.

In the case of videos, they also found that people were opening the same video on their mobile devices. That’s to engage with the video being watched on the big screen, as it’s easier than using the TV remote.

YouTube has been on a feature-adding spree lately, adding a “most replayed” graph to the progress bar, and the ability to use YouTube Music on Wear OS watches.

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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If YouTube is your go-to video streaming service, the addition of paid products may add a little spice to your experience. But YouTube is notorious for having confusing menus and finding things can be tough.

That said, let’s discuss how to rent or buy movies on the YouTube website and mobile app.

How to rent or buy a YouTube movie on desktop

Here’s how to rent or buy a YouTube movie on the desktop site:

Rented and bought movies will appear under the Purchased tab on the main Movies & Shows page.

When you rent a movie, you have 30 days to begin watching.

Once you start the film, you can view it as many times as you want within the rental period, which is usually 48 hours. YouTube will specify the exact timeframe during the purchase process.

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Also, if there’s a problem with a purchased movie, you may be able to request a refund if YouTube’s refund policy covers the issue.

How to rent or buy a YouTube movie on mobile

Here’s how to rent or buy a movie on the YouTube mobile app:

1. Launch the YouTube app and tap Explore

2. Tap Movies & Shows

3. Select a movie or search what you’re looking for

4. Tap Buy or Rent

5. Select an option under Rent movie or Buy movie and complete the purchase process

All rented and bought movies will appear under the Purchased tab on the main Movies & Shows page.

How to watch free movies on YouTube

If you don’t feel like dishing out the dollars to rent or buy, you can watch certain movies free of charge. There is, of course, a catch.

Unpaid YouTube movies come with advertising, but watching a few ads is a small price to pay for free content.

You can access Free to watch movies on the main Movies & Shows page. If you click the header or the See More button, you’ll be able to browse the complete collection.

Renting and buying YouTube movies is convenient

If you don’t subscribe to a streaming service, renting or buying movies on YouTube is a good way to get your home-cinematic fix.

Most of the rental prices are reasonable and may be especially appealing if you can gather a group of people around for viewing.

But if paying for things isn’t your thing, you can, of course, select a movie from YouTube’s collection of ad-infused freebies and save some coin. If you’re lucky, you may even find something worth watching.

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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Google announced the new feature in a community post on its support forums earlier this week.

In addition to adding LTE and WiFi capabilities, Google has also added a YouTube Music tile to your smartwatch so you can quickly and easily access the music you’ve been listening to.

READ MORE: YouTube now lets you use your phone as a second screen

This is great news for Wear OS device users. The only native music streaming app that has been available on Wear OS previously was Google Play Music. And Google killed that service way back in 2020.

Now you can listen to YouTube Music on your Wear OS device without even having to have your phone nearby. The upgraded app even includes the Smart Downloads feature which will automatically refresh your downloaded songs when you’re on WiFi.

There are some limitations to the new YouTube Music app for Wear OS

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First, it does require that you have a YouTube Music Premium account to use it. YouTube Premium will cost you $9.99 a month.

Additionally, if you rely on your smartphone for LTE connectivity, you will have to use an Android device. The new app doesn’t have support for cellular streaming using an iOS device.

This is a prime time for Google to announce the new YouTube Music app for Wear OS. The company recently revealed its highly-anticipated Pixel Watch that will be coming in the fall.

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And it would be quite a shame if Google’s flagship wearable launched without the Google-owned music streaming service.

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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The post Google finally adds YouTube Music streaming to Wear OS watches appeared first on KnowTechie.

This feature should help you find the most popular parts of any video, allowing you to skip through any “dead air” kind of situation. One of the better examples of this feature would be using it to skip directly to the how-to section of a video.

“When you start seeking, you’ll see a graph above the red progress bar. If the graph is high, then that part of the video has been replayed often,” YouTube explains in the support documentation.

READ MORE: YouTube now lets you use your phone as a second screen

Sounds good, right? Well, we have some concerns. How will this impact YouTube’s creators, in terms of monetization and metrics like hours watched?

If everyone is skipping to specific sections, that’s going to negatively impact things. It could also change things so creators focus on making more of whatever the popular sections are, reducing the overall range of their content.

READ MORE: WatchTube is an app that lets you watch YouTube on an Apple Watch

We’ll have to wait and see what feedback from creators is over this change. YouTube is trying to make positive changes to the experience on the site, and this is just one part.

The overall goal is to give viewers more control over how they watch content on YouTube. That includes ways to break up longer videos into shorter chunks, so they can be watched around our daily schedules.

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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Google has recently responded to that reality by adding more categories to the list of sensitive topics for its YouTube and Gmail ads.

According to a company spokesperson, these tweaks don’t yet apply to search engine results or Google Shopping ads, but that will happen eventually. 

An expansion of an earlier update

In December 2020, Google began giving people more control over ads shown to them. The company let users specify they’d like to see fewer ads about alcohol and gambling when using YouTube.

These latest updates expand upon those by adding parenting, pregnancy, weight loss, and dating to the sensitive topics list.

Karin Hennessy, a group product manager for ad privacy at Google, said, “We’ll continue to listen to user feedback and study which categories to expand this feature to in the future.”

How might this update affect advertisers and Google users?

Statistics indicate most for-profit companies spend somewhere between 9%-12% on advertising, but the percentage can be more than triple that in some cases.

It’s more than likely this Google update won’t cut into marketing plans. After all, if a person finds a company’s industry or ad topics triggering, they’re not part of its target audience anyway. 

However, as you almost certainly know from experience, unexpected life changes can cause certain topics to become distressing. Perhaps you recently had a miscarriage.

Going through such a traumatic event requires taking time to grieve, so it would certainly be understandable if you wanted to limit ads about pregnancy and parenting for a while. These new Google updates make that possible. 

As you can probably imagine, this is not the first time Google has enacted ad-based limitations.

In 2019, it banned political advertisers from targeting people based on their voting history or political affiliation. Instead, the targeting only extended to the individual’s postal code. 

However, in that case, the limitations related to what advertisers must do rather than giving users themselves more control.

Facebook did something similar by forbidding advertisers to target people based on religion or politics. 

Part of a larger trend?

Google is not the only major tech company that has recently announced increased customization for the content users see.

In January, Instagram announced a three-tier sensitive content control setting. It lets you choose no restrictions, “limit” or “limit even more.”

However, representatives did not go into further detail, and the setting names are arguably a bit vague. Unlike Google, Instagram does not yet allow people to specify which topics bother them. 

Last year, Snapchat allowed users in the United Kingdom to turn off gambling advertisements. 

Twitter also rolled out a feature that lets users specify that particular tweets they publish contain sensitive content or spoilers. It’s up to the people who come across those posts to decide if they want to see them. 

Getting more control over your online experience

Google is leading the way in letting people narrow down what they don’t want to see. However, it’s important to remember that changing these settings does not impose a blanket ban everywhere online.

These updates only apply to Gmail and YouTube ads right now. However, the new features will help you temporarily avoid ad topics you might prefer to avoid.

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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First conceived in 2015 and “built from the ground up with little ones in mind”; YouTube Kids was supposed to be a safe place. Video submissions are screened by both human moderators and artificial intelligence. They’re not doing a good enough job.

TTP found all kinds of objectionable, inappropriate content in the mix of videos on YouTube Kids. Some examples include videos talking about concealing firearms and “encouraging skin bleaching.”

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There were even videos talking about cocaine and crystal meth, and diet culture. I’m fairly sure we need to show body positivity to two-year-olds; not tell them that they should limit their serving sizes.

Content referencing Breaking Bad kept popping up, including themed cooking shows making fake meth. Minecraft creators also recreated scenes from the show. Even music videos referencing other hard drugs made it into the Kids app.

Other content found by TTP includes videos about skin bleaching, exercise videos emphasizing burning calories, and unboxing videos which lack the required FTC disclosures.

That last point is partly because YouTube Kids doesn’t have a place for video descriptions; where most YouTubers put their disclosures on the main site.

YouTube has removed or age-gated the flagged videos from the Kids app. Let’s hope they can stop these types of content from appearing in the first place.

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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The post YouTube Kids exposed for suggesting drug and gun videos appeared first on KnowTechie.

If you have the YouTube mobile app installed on your phone, you can share videos directly to Snapchat in sticker form. Once you’ve shared the link, you can use it to create a snap and release it into the world.

The feature is available on both Android and iOS devices, so we can all distract our friends in style. Let’s discuss how to send YouTube links as stickers in Snapchat.

How to send a YouTube link as a Snapchat sticker

If you want to share a YouTube video with a friend and Snapchat is your preferred chat method, here’s how to send a YouTube link as a sticker in the Snapchat app:

READ MORE: How to rent or buy movies on YouTube

When the snap arrives, the recipient can tap the YouTube attachment button to open the video in the YouTube app or a browser. Before exiting, the app will ask permission to play the content in the appropriate application.

Best way to send YouTube links with Snapchat

While the YouTube sticker feature may not be groundbreaking, it does provide a fun way to share content with friends. Attaching links the old-fashioned way just isn’t appealing once you’ve tried stickers.

Because messages self-destruct after being viewed, sharing content through Snapchat creates a sense of urgency and may compel recipients to watch the attached YouTube video immediately.

If your ultimate goal is distraction, an enticing sticker with a short expiration date is worthy bait.

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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