YouTube is once again pushing the boundaries of its Premium tier by testing a new sleep timer feature—a move that is sure to resonate with night owls and bedtime streamers alike. This feature, currently in an experimental phase, allows Premium users to set a timer that automatically pauses video playback after a specified duration, ranging from 10 minutes to an hour. This is particularly beneficial for those who enjoy falling asleep to long podcasts, ambient sounds, or videos, ensuring that their viewing doesn’t continue endlessly into the night.
The sleep timer is accessible both on desktop and mobile devices, where it can be enabled through the experimental features section in settings. Once activated, users can choose their preferred timer duration directly from the video player settings. Interestingly, YouTube has also included a prompt that allows users to extend the timer if they find themselves still awake when the timer is about to run out.
This new feature is part of YouTube’s ongoing strategy to enhance its Premium service, aligning with similar features offered by platforms like Spotify, which introduced a sleep timer some time ago, and TikTok, which has been experimenting with bedtime reminders. While the sleep timer might not be groundbreaking, it is a thoughtful addition that could significantly improve user experience, particularly for those who use YouTube as a nightly companion.
The current test is set to run until September 2, 2024, and if successful, there is hope that YouTube will make the feature permanent, possibly even extending it to non-Premium users in the future
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