Tim
Rolling out to a very limited amount of users, YouTube is testing a messaging and sharing feature from directly within the YouTube app on Android. With this feature, called Native Sharing, users can share YouTube videos to other YouTube users, without the need of leaving the app itself. For example, if you have a friend who you share YouTube videos with constantly, you both can start a thread to share videos in, as well as discuss them, all inside of the YouTube app.
This feature will be housed inside of a new tab, located in the YouTube app. It will sit directly between your subscriptions and profile tab on the home page. If you have a group of friends you want to share videos and commentary with, you can add multiple individuals to a single thread. The sharing aspect is handled the same exact way it is shared normally, with a popup window sliding in from the bottom of your screen. Once you have the contact chosen, hit send, and away it goes into your thread.
As previously stated, this feature is available to a small group of YouTube users, but if you happen to be selected, you can actually invite friends to partake in Native Sharing with you. This should help increase the number of users quite rapidly. To invite friends, simply begin a new thread with their Google account selected.
As for me, I don’t have any update for the YouTube app, so it’s hard to say how exactly YouTube is choosing its participants. Either look for an update on Google Play, or open your YouTube app and see if the new Sharing tab is there. If you have it, you’re a very lucky duck.
Do you think Native Sharing and conversation threads will influence you to share more videos with your friends?
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