YouTube is rolling out a new feature for videos that users watch late at night. The video platform is testing a Sleep Timer feature that automatically stops video playback after a predetermined period of time.
Sleep Timer for YouTube is coming
The sleep timer option is currently being tested with YouTube Premium subscribers. When accessed via the YouTube Experiments page, it gives users the option to stop videos at intervals of 10, 15, 20, 30, 45 or 60 minutes. Selecting 10 minutes, for example, will pause the content after 10 minutes, regardless of the length of the video.
Users can also choose to pause when the video ends. The feature is currently being tested on both desktop and mobile devices. On desktop, it can be accessed from the settings section in the player, and on mobile from Additional Settings.
The sleep timer aims to help those who fall asleep at night and watch YouTube videos for hours. It will prevent subsequent videos from automatically playing when the set time limit is reached. This will prevent users from automatically skipping videos.
YouTube said that the sleep timer test will be available until September 2. However, it is not known when this feature will leave the trial phase and be available for all users. However, the company has already withdrawn some previously tested features and decided not to roll them out.
YouTube is also testing Google Gemini integration to help creators with video ideas, titles and thumbnails. Of course, the company will take creators’ feedback into account.