YouTube updates will help you sleep and speed things up

By Phil Nickinson Published October 15, 2024

There are a million ways Google could improve the YouTube experience across all of its platforms. And today it announced a handful that aim to make how you watch on your mobile device, computer, and TV just a little bit better. The updates focus on playlists, interaction, playback speed — and maybe most importantly an option that’ll keep you from waking up at 4 a.m. with Mr. Beast still doing whatever it is he does on your screen.

There are more than two dozen improvements on the way, Google says. Here’s a quick look at the biggest of what’s coming in the near future:

Sleep timer is graduating from YouTube Premium and rolling out to everyone on mobile devices. It’s exactly what it sounds like — a method by which you can tell YouTube to stop playing at some point. You have a bunch of options for the sleep timer (maybe too many) and and choose whether to have videos stop after 10, 15, 20, 30, 45 minutes, or 1 hour — or when it hits the end of the current video.

When you hit the end of the timer, you’ll get a pop-up that reads: “We hope you’re fast asleep, but you can always add more time.” Indeed, if you’re passed out, you don’t do anything. But if you’ve yet to nod off, it’s easy to add a few more minutes.

The ability to adjust playback speed — faster or slower — isn’t anything new. And it can be a godsend if you have to trudge your way through something boring, or savor a video that’s worth a little lingering.

Now you’ll have more control over that playback speed. Instead of adjusting things faster or slower by 0.25x increments, you’ll be able to fine-tune the speed by 0.05x increments.

That’s … particular.

Sometimes it’s great to want to build your own playlist — and sometimes you might want a little help. You’ll soon be able to collaborate with others to build a playlist via a special link. Or if you’re working from a TV, you’ll have a QR code that can be scanned.

You’ll also be able to design your own thumbnail for a playlist using your own photos, or you can use generative AI to create one.

Later this year you’ll be able to vote on videos in playlists to help tell your friends you have better taste in videos than they do.

Those updates will be available across mobile devices, in a web browser, on televisions, and in YouTube Music.

Those were the big updates. Here are some others Google has mentioned are on the way: