Now, iPhone owners can navigate YouTube with gestures: Here's how
In a bid to make content consumption more seamless, YouTube is adding a whole new way to browse through videos. Starting this week, the mobile app of the platform will support gesture-based controls, allowing users to move through clips with a mere swipe, TechCrunch reported. The feature will complement the existing capabilities of YouTube's mobile app and also aid content creators. Here's how.
First up, how gesture controls would work?
With gesture controls, you'd be able to browse YouTube by swiping fingers - either to the left or right. The feature works just like swiping through photos and can be used in both full screen and small screen modes. Notably, right-to-left swipe will take you forward to the next recommended video, while left-to-right swipe will take you back to the clip you left.
Video will resume from you left off
If you swipe back to a video you had just left, it would start playing exactly from the point where you had left off. This will further enhance the viewing experience, especially while watching tips, tricks and other video guides on the platform.
The feature is expected to increase content consumption, revenues
The new feature, being so handy, is expected to increase content consumption habits of the users. As such, content creators will have increased opportunities to grow their audience base and monetize them through advertisements. The move also makes sense if we consider that 70% of YouTube viewing happens solely the mobile app (Android plus iOS).
However, only iPhone users will reap its benefits
Having said that, it is important to note that the update for gesture-based navigation will be available only for iOS users in the early days. We expect the feature to show up on Android, but as of now, YouTube has not given a word on when that might happen. Meaning, it could take weeks or even months to come on the Google Play Store.
