YouTube Premium: YouTube is currently testing a new feature that allows users to lock their screens to avoid accidental button presses and video interruption. The company announced the experiment on the YouTube Experiments page.
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The “Lock Screen” function disables touch input, so when users watch a video in full‑screen mode, they don't need to worry about accidental pause, skipping or selecting a suggested video. Users who have access to the test can tap the gear icon in the top‑left corner of the screen to enable the function.
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As reported by Cord Cutters News, which first spotted the new lock feature, it's only available to select Premium subscribers on Android and iOS. YouTube is giving users until July 30th to try out the feature—users can visit the YouTube homepage to see if they've received an invitation.
YouTube's new experiment is similar to a feature Netflix launched in 2020. Netflix's mobile app introduced Screen Lock, which allows subscribers to tap a lock icon at the bottom of the screen to disable the display of buttons like play and pause—this helps prevent accidentally stopping playback or turning on subtitles.
YouTube is running a few other tests right now, including a way to limit the use of ad blockers by warning users that the video player will be blocked after three videos unless they disable their ad blocker. The company is also reportedly looking at an online gaming offering that would allow users to play games through the YouTube website or app.
Information source: techcrunch.com
