Let's admit it: YouTube has plenty of room for improvement, especially when it comes to performance and interface. However, the platform has several features that, for various reasons, haven't received much publicity and are definitely worth exploring. If you want to know eight things you can do on YouTube today, keep reading!
Activate video transcription
Automatic subtitles on YouTube are well documented, and their results can become pure humor when trying to translate content at the same time, but there is an element that often goes unnoticed: transcription. To activate it, click the three dots that appear at the bottom right of the video. Each transcription entry is accompanied by its timestamp, which will help you control playback more precisely.
Loops!
Formerly we needed an external service to play YouTube videos in a loop, but that's no longer the case. Right-click on the video and choose Loop or Bucle in the context menu. To disable the loop, simply repeat this same process and uncheck it.
Watch time
Do you spend a lot of time on the YouTube mobile app? With the built-in "Watch time" feature you can check it precisely. From the home section, tap your avatar and choose Watch time from the menu. The graph records your activity for the last 24 hours and the total for the past week. You also have the ability to set a break alert and a reminder to go to sleep.
Stats for Nerds
On certain occasions, YouTube doesn't work exactly as we want. Constant buffer losses and dynamic quality changes are classic signs of a connectivity failure, but the best way to get confirmation is through the Stats for Nerds section.
In the web version of YouTube, Stats for Nerds is found in the context menu (right-click on the video, just like with the loop). On the mobile app, you first need to go to your profile, enter Settings > General, and enable the Advanced Statistics option. Then, tap the video during playback, enter the three-dot menu, and select Stats for Nerds.
Incognito mode
That's right: the YouTube mobile app has an incognito mode similar to Chrome and other browsers. Its goal is basically to allow users to explore content without recording history and without contaminating the recommendation algorithm, so to speak. Once again, from the home section, tap your avatar, and in the menu you'll find the "Activate incognito mode" option. It's not perfect, but it works quite well.
New for you
YouTube wants you to spend a lot of time on its platform, and its recommendations (which are often weak) aim for exactly that, but the mobile app offers a label called "New for you", which generates a list of different creators and videos, unrelated to previous suggestions. What was the first thing YouTube recommended to me with "New for you"? The death of Gwen Stacy in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Thanks for the tears. :(
Share specific parts of a video
Yes, sharing videos is one of YouTube's most popular features. Many platforms automatically recognize and integrate videos, but there's a detail that's often ignored: we can share videos so they start at a specific point. If you want a friend, family member, or colleague to see 20–30 seconds of a video that lasts an hour, this will help you a lot.
Navigate with gestures
Personally, I spend many hours in the YouTube mobile app (and also its equivalents like YouTube Vanced and NewPipe), and I must admit that it's sometimes very difficult to try to tap the bar at the right place to fast-forward or rewind videos. My problem is that I don't have enough practice with gesture navigation: If you do a long press on the video, you can easily swipe left or right on the timeline. Another interesting gesture is the two-finger tap, which helps you jump 10 seconds, or move to the next episode (if the creator decided to include them).
Eight things you can do on YouTube: In summary
They seem obvious, but they aren't. Whether due to lack of publicity, an awkward location in the interface, or simple user ignorance, all these things you can do on YouTube are waiting for their opportunity in our mobile and desktop sessions. Do you have any more to recommend? As always, comments are open. Good luck!
