What you need to know
- YouTube is starting a notification test affecting users who have chosen to receive “All” alerts from channels.
- The platform will no longer send notifications to users who haven’t interacted with a channel “recently” to prevent notification overload.
- Earlier in February, YouTube conducted a test for Premium users, offering 4x watch speed and introducing more radio station customization options in YouTube Music.
YouTube is launching a new test focusing on how notifications are handled for users and channel creators on the platform.
According to Android Police, YouTube updated its experiment changelog, stating that it is testing a revised “notifications experience” to reduce the number of users who disable all notifications from the platform in settings due to overwhelming notifications. The test specifically targets users who have opted for “All” notifications from a channel.
For users who have selected the “All” notifications option, the app will not send a notification if they haven’t engaged with that channel “recently.” Although newly uploaded video notifications will still be available through the bell icon in the app, they will not trigger an alert on the user’s phone.
YouTube is also testing this notification change for channels that upload content infrequently.
The test began this week, but there is no information on how extensive the experiment will be. Some users may notice this change by the end of the week, while others may not.
YouTube provides three notification settings for channels: All, Personalized, and None. The “All” option notifies you of all uploads from that channel, including videos, streams, and Shorts. The “Personalized” option limits notifications based on your interactions with the channel.
Regarding other experiments, YouTube allowed Premium users to watch videos at 4x speed in a limited test that ended on February 26. This test also included enhancements to the Jump Ahead feature, helping viewers navigate through content more efficiently.
YouTube Music’s “Ask Music” feature now supports more personalized radio stations, allowing users to customize their channels with written or voice prompts. Users can select from suggested prompts like “just jazz songs” or “only female vocals” for a tailored listening experience.