YouTube Introduces rings To Indicate When Creators Are Live Streaming
This comes a month after Youtube redid their UserInterface.
YouTube has a massive amount of content, with live streaming accounting for an increasing share of it. While it is frequently possible to catch up on a live stream after it has ended, this means missing out on the thrill and sense of community that comes from watching a live event with others.
YouTube is making it simpler to find live streams with this in mind. Borrowing an idea from TikTok and Instagram, YouTube is changing avatars to make it evident when a channel is live streaming.
Ring, ring, ring
YouTube’s Chief Product Officer, Neal Mohan, shared news of the change in a tweet:
Really focused making it easier for users to find livestreams on @YouTube so we're rolling out the Live rings feature on mobile! @YouTubeCreators streaming live will now have a ring around the channel avatar & clicking on the avatar will take you directly to the livestream. pic.twitter.com/QylUbpktum
— Neal Mohan (@nealmohan) February 18, 2022
Desktop Users
There is currently no mention of desktop users, and it is unclear if the functionality will transition from mobile or not.
So, will it be simpler to discover live streams as a result of this? The answer is completely dependent on how you utilize YouTube. People who are avid channel fans are likely to be aware of future live broadcasts. And will have set a reminder to ensure they don’t miss out. It is unlikely to make much of a difference for the casual browser browsing for YouTube videos focused on humor.
Some answers to Mohan’s tweet questioned the usefulness of the update as well. But no new feature will ever please everyone equally.