Today I Learned...

Key Takeaways:
  • YouTube offers a variety of features that users may not be aware of, such as changing playback speed, controlling video playback with a keyboard, and incognito mode.
  • Users can ignore video suggestions, find favorite channels through search by name, keyword, or location, search for music and playlists, and enable dark mode.
  • These tips and shortcuts can help users navigate YouTube more efficiently and make the most of their viewing experience.
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ouTube is one of the most popular websites in the world, and it has a lot to offer. You can use it to stream music, watch videos on demand, and find tons of different content. With so many things going on at once, though, it's easy to miss some cool features that YouTube has to offer. So today we're going to share some tips and shortcuts you can use to make your time on YouTube even better!

1. Change playback speed

Want to watch a video at double speed? Just use the "0.25x" button!

Need to watch it at half speed? Use "1/2x"!

If you want even more granular control over playback speed, YouTube has you covered with a number of predefined speeds between "normal" and "slowest." You can also type any fraction into these fields (e.g., 1/8x) or use just plain numbers (e.g., 2).

2. Control video playback with your keyboard:

Did you know that you can control video playback with your keyboard on YouTube? Here's how:

  • To pause and play video, hold down the space bar.
  • To move forward or backward in a video, hold down the left or right arrow keys.
  • To increase or decrease your volume, hold down the up or down arrow keys.
  • To rewind or fast forward through a video, hold down either the left or right arrow key while still holding down the space bar at the same time; you will see a white line flashing onscreen as you drag!

3. Shortcuts for watching videos

So you want to start watching a video? Just tap on it!

Here are some other shortcuts you can use:

  • You can pause the video at any time by tapping the screen or pressing the right arrow button. To continue playing where you left off, tap Resume Playback in the notification center (or swipe down from top of screen).
  • To stop playing/pausing/resuming playback of a video, press Home button from anywhere within YouTube app interface (even if it's not playing). This will bring up multitasking UI for all apps running in background including YouTube app itself.
  • Long-pressing anywhere outside thumbnail images during fast forward or rewind will slow down those speeds by half for better viewing experience (varies according to device specifications).

4. Go ā€˜Incognito'

If you want to watch videos without leaving a trail of where you've been, go incognito. This will not only hide your viewing history, but it will also hide other activity like search history and viewing activity.

5. Ignore a video suggestion

If you don’t want to see a video suggestion, the easiest way is to click the three dots on the right side and select 'Ignore Suggestion.'

You can also go through your settings and choose 'Show less recommended videos.' In this case, you'll be able to tell YouTube why you don’t want to see something. You can select from options like ā€œI find this offensive,ā€ or ā€œI don't think I'm interested in this topic."

This will help bring better content suggestions to you by letting Youtube know what you don't like!

6. Find your favorite channels

Finding a YouTube channel to watch can be difficult. But, there are a few ways to make the process easier:

  1. Search by name: When you search for something on YouTube, the results will show you channels that match your query in various ways. A search for ā€œYouTubeā€ or ā€œGoogleā€ will surface videos from both companies as well as any other channels that contain those words in their title, description or tags (more on which later).
  2. Search by keyword: If there's only one word that identifies your interest—like "Star Wars" or "cats"—then it's helpful to use quotation marks around it when searching for results on YouTube so you'll get more accurate results than if you just type it out without quotations ("star wars"). Adding quotation marks also helps when searching for band names such as "Radiohead."
  3. Search by location: You can also restrict where videos come from by selecting from a dropdown menu at the top of any page within YouTube—set it to "United States" if most of what interests you is homegrown content or set it elsewhere if international fare is more up your alley. It won't hurt anything even if an artist isn't available in every country; they'll still appear if they're available anywhere at all! Ā 

6. Search for music and playlists

To search for music, open the YouTube app and tap on the magnifying glass icon in the top right corner. Type in your topic and select "Search."

To search for playlists, tap on ā€œPlaylist.ā€ You can also access playlists by hovering over the ā€œSongsā€ tab and tapping ā€œNew Playlist.ā€ On mobile devices with a smaller screen, you'll find this option at the bottom of your screen under your account avatar. Tap through to see more content. To add a video from another channel or playlist to one of your own, simply tap on it as if you were going to watch it—but instead of hitting play (as you would normally do), drag that video over onto one of your existing videos or channels in order to re-order them as you please!

7. Enable YouTube Dark Mode

To enable dark mode, follow these steps:

  • Go to your Account.
  • Click the gear icon in the top right corner of the page and choose Settings.
  • Select Dark Theme from the drop-down menu under Theme.
  • Click Save to confirm and enjoy your new dark theme!

With these tricks, you can find and watch the videos that you are looking for. I hope these tips and shortcuts help you enjoy YouTube more, as well as find your favorite content faster!

To learn more Youtube Tips &Ā Tricks,

check out this class taught by Guide Wade, YouTube: Tips for Finding and Managing Videos!

PostedĀ 
Jun 30, 2022
Ā inĀ 
Technology
Ā category