Here are 7 awesome YouTube tips for you

The vast majority of us have been using YouTube for a long time, so you probably don’t give it much thought. There are so many new features and tools available on the Google-owned video platform in recent years that you are definitely missing out on some of the most important ones.

These YouTube tips and tactics can help you get the most out of the platform, from simple gestures you may not have known about to ways to reduce the amount of time you spend tumbling into rabbit holes.

YouTube tip #1: Loop a video

YouTube videos can be looped, but it’s not easy to find the feature. You may discover the Loop option by right-clicking on a video on the web or, on mobile, by tapping the three dots (top right) on a video clip’s individual listing page. On PlayStation 5 and Nvidia Shield YouTube apps, the option to loop videos has also been added.

YouTube tip #2: Use gestures to navigate inside a video

There are a few neat gestures you can use on your smartphone or tablet to quickly navigate through YouTube videos.

If you tap and hold on to the video while it’s playing, and then swipe left or right across the clip, you will fast scrub around the video’s timeline while keeping your finger pushed down on the screen.

In order to skip 10 seconds forward or backwards in the video just double tap on either the left or right side of the video.

Finally, to skip to the previous or next chapter of a video (for those videos which have chapters), double-tap with two fingers on the left of the right side of the display.

YouTube tip #3: Check transcripts

Most YouTube videos make use of the platform’s clever auto-captioning processing, and you may find this feature by clicking the three dots under a clip and choosing Open transcript on the web. This transcript appears to be factual and comes with timestamps, making it easier for users to find their way around.

Also read: You must stop YouTube from tracking your activities

A video transcription may be useful for a variety of reasons: Use it to discover a certain point in the timeline of a video without having to navigate back and forth. You can use the transcript if you don’t have access to the video’s audio, but it’s much quicker to simply turn on the video’s closed captions.

YouTube tip #4: Set time usage limits

It’s not impossible to spend less time on YouTube if you use the right tools. To see how much time you’ve spent on the app, go to the Home tab, press your profile picture in the upper right corner, and then select time watched. You may set YouTube to notify you when it’s time to go to bed, remind you when it’s time to take a break, and allow or disallow autoplay.

YouTube tip #5: Go Incognito

YouTube also features an incognito mode that you can activate by clicking/touching your profile picture (top right) on the main Home screen and then selecting Turn on Incognito.

Using incognito mode is precisely what you’d expect it to be. It will not keep track of your viewing history, and the videos you watch won’t influence your recommendations.

YouTube tip #6: See your stats

YouTube knows exactly how much time you spend watching videos on your devices, even if you’re not aware of it. Using the mobile app, tap your avatar in the top right of the screen and select time spent. In this section, you can check how much time you’ve spent viewing YouTube the previous seven days, regardless of the device you used.

Youtube tip #7: Share specific parts of a video

Occasionally, you may only want to share a portion of a video, rather than the complete thing. To accomplish this, the original URL must be modified to include a timestamp at the end. On YouTube web, the Start at option appears when you share a video that allows you to specify the exact moment in the video when someone clicks on the link.