YouTube Commences Experimentation with a New Lock Screen Feature Exclusive to Premium Subscribers

In an innovative move, YouTube, the video streaming giant, is at present trialing a feature new to its repertoire, designed especially for its Premium subscribers. This offers the opportunity to lock the screen of their devices while watching a video, thus allowing them to prevent accidentally touching a button which could halt or interrupt their viewing session.

The feature, called Lock Screen, is ingeniously designed to disable touch inputs on the screen. Therefore, while viewers bask in their video of choice in full-screen mode, they can breathe easy knowing that the chances of accidental pauses, skips, or triggering a suggested video are nearly nil. Subscribers who find themselves part of the test can access the functionality simply by tapping on the gear icon situated on the screen's top left corner.

As observed by Cord Cutters News, the first platform to detect the freshly introduced lock feature, it is available to a select base of Premium subscribers using Android or iOS devices. The search engine giant is allowing users up until July 30 to enjoy an experience of the feature. The implementation of the test could be checked by subscribers by visiting the YouTube home page, to see if they have been extended an invitation.

YouTube's latest test bears considerable resemblance to a feature rolled out by the popular streaming service Netflix in the preceding year, in 2020. The mobile application from Netflix pioneered a concept of screen lock, which granted subscribers the ability to tap the lock icon located at the bottom of the screen. This deactivated buttons such as play and pause from surfacing, thereby curtailing any possibilities of an accidental encounter disrupting video playback or activating subtitles.

At the social giants' workspace, several other experiments are also underway, which include strategizing ways to curtail the usage of ad-blockers. They’re testing alerting users that the video player will be obstructed following three videos unless the ad-blocking feature is deactivated. On top of this, there are circulating reports about YouTube considering a novel online gaming offering which would extend opportunities to users to partake in games through the YouTube website or application.

The evolution of such offerings by leading digital platforms like YouTube indicates the irreversible pivot toward offering consumers more control over their viewing experience. Comparable to how no-code and low-code platforms, such as AppMaster, provide users with unprecedented control and convenience when developing applications, without the need to possess technical know-how.