YouTube has announced several new features and experiments aimed at enhancing both creator and viewer experiences on the platform. These updates include visual guides for Shorts creators, an improved copyright details page, end screen controls for viewers, and new AI protection tools.
Visual Guides for Shorts Creators
YouTube is experimenting with visual guides in the Shorts editor to help creators better position elements within their videos. These guides show creators exactly where text and interactive stickers will appear relative to what viewers will see, making the editing process significantly easier.
The new feature helps creators avoid placing components in locations where they might be obstructed by elements like comments, like buttons, and video descriptions. According to Lauren, a program manager on YouTube's product team, the company plans to roll this out to all creators pending successful experiment results.
Redesigned Copyright Details Page
The video copyright details page in YouTube Studio has received a complete refresh. The updated design makes it easier to find key information about copyright claims and how they impact channels and videos.
A notable addition is a new check mark called "feature restrictions," starting with shopping tag restrictions. Creators can see details of copyright issues by navigating to the "see details" section, where they can view claimant details and learn more about the detected copyrighted content.
YouTube emphasized that the functionality and options for managing claims are remaining the same. The platform is gradually rolling this update out to all creators.
Hide End Screens Feature
YouTube is testing the ability for users to hide end screens with the goal of reducing clutter and creating a cleaner player experience. Users included in this experiment can tap a "hide" button in the top-right corner of the player when end screens appear.
When a user taps this button, all endscreen cards will be hidden for that specific video only, and a "show" button will appear. Tapping the show button will make the end screens reappear. YouTube doesn't expect this feature to impact views but promises to keep creators informed if the experiment expands to more users.
AI Protection Tools
As AI creation becomes more widespread, YouTube is working to give creators more awareness and control over how AI is being used to depict their faces on the platform. Some creators will see a message in Studio inviting them to help build tools to detect and manage AI-generated content showing creators' faces.
This involves submitting a short video selfie and giving consent for YouTube's systems to process it for testing. YouTube explicitly stated that this consented data will only be used for the development of protection tools, not for any other features on the platform.
The invitation will initially be available to a small number of creators, with eligible users receiving a notification with more information in YouTube Studio. The platform notes they are in the early stages of this program.
Channel Membership Improvements
YouTube is continuing to improve the channel membership experience by updating the channel membership tab content feed on mobile. These improvements aim to help drive new member activation and make it easier for new members to find content.
This follows last year's experimental redesign of the member hub on the channel membership page, which was designed to make it easier for new members to learn about membership perks and manage their settings.
