YouTube is constantly innovating with its Premium tier, introducing new features to enhance the user experience. The latest addition to this experimental lineup is a sleep timer—a simple yet highly practical tool that lets users pause their video playback after a set period of time. While it might not be the most groundbreaking feature, it’s sure to be a game-changer for those who enjoy falling asleep to long podcasts, white noise, or other soothing content.
How to Access the Sleep Timer
For YouTube Premium users eager to try out this new feature, it’s easy to activate. On desktop, you can enable the sleep timer by visiting the “Settings” menu and navigating to the “Try experimental new features” section. For mobile users, the option is accessible through the same settings path.
Once enabled, the Sleep Timer will appear directly in the Settings menu on the video player. Users can set the timer to pause their video after intervals of 10, 15, 20, 30, 45, or 60 minutes. There’s also an option to pause playback at the end of the video.
User-Friendly Reminders
A thoughtful touch to this feature is a pop-up notification that appears once the timer ends. This notification prompts users to extend the timer if they wish to continue watching or listening without interruption. It’s a small, but highly convenient, addition that ensures your content experience is as smooth as possible.
Catching Up with the Competition
While this feature is new to YouTube, it’s worth noting that other platforms have been offering similar tools for some time. Spotify, for example, has long had a sleep timer for its users, and TikTok began experimenting with sleep nudges based on preset bedtimes last year. YouTube may be a bit late to the party, but its implementation could still be a valuable addition for its large user base.
Will It Stick Around?
Currently, YouTube’s experimental sleep timer is set to be available until September 2. However, there’s hope that this feature will become a permanent fixture, and perhaps even be extended to free users in the future. Given its utility, it wouldn’t be surprising if YouTube decides to make it a standard offering.
YouTube’s Track Record with Experimental Features
This sleep timer is just the latest in a series of experimental features YouTube has tested with its Premium subscribers. Previous innovations include an AI assistant that answers questions about videos and a lock screen feature designed to prevent accidental taps. These experiments highlight YouTube’s ongoing commitment to improving the viewing experience, even if some features don’t make it past the testing phase.
In summary, while the sleep timer might seem like a small update, it reflects YouTube’s ongoing efforts to fine-tune its services and cater to the diverse needs of its users. Whether you’re a night owl or someone who just loves background noise, this new feature could soon become one of your favorites on the platform.
