Latest YouTube update lets you send videos without leaving the mobile app

By Brenda Stolyar Published August 7, 2017

YouTube announced a new addition to its app to help make it easier to share videos. You’ll now be able to direct message any videos on the site to friends and family through private conversations.

Prior to the update, users would have to send videos to another person by copying and pasting the link into another messaging platform. Starting Monday, August 7, you can send and receive videos by sending them directly to someone. You can also carry on a conversation, send emojis, reply with another video, and invite others to join in on the group chat.

Recommended Videos

All your existing conversations can be accessed in a new tab called “Shared” on the YouTube mobile app. To start using it, you’ll have to invite your friends from your contacts via SMS or by sending an invitation link through a social network, email, or messaging app.

The format looks a lot like Instagram’s direct message feature. If there’s a video you’d like to send, simply tap on the arrow below the video and a list of contacts will show up. You can either send it directly to one person or select multiple people — up to 30 — to create a group chat. You can also include a message before sending it in the text box available underneath the list of people you’re sending it to.

The new feature is similar to Google Messenger — later rebranded as Android Messages. The app allows you to communicate with anyone by using SMS and MMS, among others. You can send group texts along with pictures, audio messages, and videos without having to leave to exit the app.

The goal with YouTube’s new feature is apparent — keep users watching videos and engaging on the platform. Rather than having to switch back and forth between apps only to send videos, the sharing option lets you send an unlimited amount to all your friends by tapping a button. It might actually keep you on the app longer than planned.

The company has been testing the feature since last year, and rolled out the beta version to users in Canada this past January. YouTube’s blog post explains that after receiving feedback it performed further tweaks before releasing the final product. The YouTube update is gradually rolling out globally on Android and iOS.

Former Staff Writer, Mobile

Brenda became obsessed with technology after receiving her first Dell computer from her grandpa in the second grade. While…

Topics

Phones

The HONOR Robot Phone feels like the first phone I’d actually buy for its weirdest feature

I wanted a better workflow. HONOR built a robot.

HONOR Robot Phone Hands On First Impressions Review

When I was at Computex earlier this year, I shot a lot of Reels using my DJI Osmo. And don't get me wrong: that little camera is excellent. The stabilization is great, the video quality is good, and it is exactly the kind of thing you want when you're running around a trade show trying to make content. But then came the annoying part: transferring all that footage to my phone or laptop, moving it to the cloud, and finally getting it onto the platform I actually wanted to use. At some point, I remember thinking, "Why are there so many steps?"

Apparently, HONOR had the same thought. The difference is that while I just complained about it, HONOR went ahead and built a phone around the idea. The HONOR Robot Phone is, admittedly, doing a lot. It's a flagship Android phone, a miniature motorized camera gimbal, a robotic arm, and an AI playground all rolled into one. But after actually using it at IFA Berlin this year, I found myself caring far less about the novelty and far more about the camera. Because, honestly, this thing is really good.

Phones

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 is an unabashedly bougie reader, but gosh, I can’t put it down

I am NOT telling you to spend $1,900 on it for reading books. And yet, here I am, surpassing my reading goals at an addictively quick pace.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8

On an ordinary day, if you ask me what's the best e-reader device out there, my answer would most probably be one of Amazon's Kindle readers. I will most likely ask about your budget and your preferences before doling out a few recommendations.

If you tell me that the Kindle is too restrictive, I would point you in the direction of a Boox slate, which comes in multiple sizes across a wide price bracket. In case you are inclined towards a phone-like reader device, the Boox Palma 2 or the DuRoBo Krono would be my suggested picks. And if you're chasing something light, tiny, and open, the XTEINK X4 would be my go-to choice.

Phones

Three reasons I’m still hesitant to order the iPhone Duo

Apple’s first foldable had me reaching for my credit card, but a few days of thinking changed my mind.

iPhone Duo on table unfolded

Apple unveiled the iPhone Duo at its “Surprise and Shine” event, and my jaw dropped. To be fair, I had a pretty good idea about the phone’s hardware, but the software polish and little nice touches Apple added everywhere made me instantly pull out my credit card.

From the opening animation to the almost creaseless nano-texture display to the under-display camera to the IP68 water and dust resistance, Apple has certainly delivered with its first try at a foldable phone.