How to use 5 lesser-known features on YouTube

YouTube is one of the oldest platforms used for video-sharing in the world. Despite the number of streaming platforms available today, users around the world prefer YouTube when it comes to entertainment. The platform has grown over the years and has helped creators across the globe to grow by showcasing their talents and skills. YouTube has also developed many features since the time of its launch which help creators and viewers better utilise the platform. 

If you are a creator who posts regularly to the website or a viewer who binges on music videos all the time, learning about the lesser-known features on YouTube will be of immense help.

Here are 5 lesser-known features on YouTube

These features will help you improve your viewing habits and assist in ensuring you have a comfortable experience with the platform.

Restricted mode

If you have children who use your YouTube account, it is best to have the restricted mode on. This will make sure your little ones do not come across offensive content on the platform. The restricted mode on YouTube will hide videos that may be inappropriate for younger viewers. This is very useful in a household with viewers that cannot watch mature content. You can turn on restricted mode by going to ‘General’ in Settings and toggle on the ‘Restricted Mode’.

Pause YouTube watch history and search history

Recommendations on YouTube are very important to users as it helps make sure they get to see content that they like often. When your YouTube account is used by another person, the algorithm is affected and might result in irrelevant video recommendations. YouTube, therefore, allows you to pause watch and search history for this purpose. You can do this by selecting ‘History and privacy’ on YouTube settings and toggling on the pause options.

Reminders to take breaks

If you are someone who spends a lot of time on YouTube, it might be useful to have reminders on the platform to help you monitor your usage. Before you find yourself in a loop of YouTube’s most funny videos, set a reminder to help you take breaks and get back to your chores for the day. To set reminders, go to Settings and then ‘General’. You will be able to set a reminder and also decide on the frequency at which it appears.

Disable Autoplay

It can be pretty annoying when YouTube continues to autoplay videos you did not click on. While this might be useful for some people, other viewers find it annoying when videos are played in this manner. You can stop autoplay by turning off the option in the ‘Settings’ section of the app. 

Share video links with specific starting times

While sharing video links, selecting a particular starting time is possible. This makes it easier for the recipient of the link to watch the video. How do you do this? When you click the share option, enable the check box titled ‘Start at’ to be able to watch the video from a specific timestamp! 

Even though these features are simple and easy, they make a huge difference when using the app. Check out these features when you are using YouTube next. 

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