Today 11th of February marks 20 years of YouTube! A platform that transformed the way that we watch, share and create videos. From its small beginning in 2005 to now becoming a global entertainment giant. YouTube has made countless creators, trends and innovations till now and will also in future!
Youtubers like MrBeast who started as a small creator now use the platform to earn millions and give back to society, funding charity projects, helping the needy and showcasing real world issues to his mass audience. These good deeds from good minded people won’t be possible if YouTube medium is not there.
As YouTube evolved, so did its features which enhanced user experience with hidden tools that many still don’t know about. Let’s celebrate two decades of YouTube by unlocking these hidden gems!
List of 10 YouTube Features:
| Feature | What It Does | How to Enable/Use It | |
| 1 | Create GIFs from Videos | Converts part of a video into a GIF. | Add “gif” before “youtube” in the video URL. |
| 2 | Transcribe Videos | Generates a text transcript of a video. | Click the three-dot menu below the video > “Show transcript.” |
| 3 | Use Stats for Nerds | Displays video details like resolution, buffering info. | Right-click on the video > Select “Stats for nerds.” |
| 4 | YouTube Experiments | Accesses new experimental features before public release. | Available for YouTube Premium users under “Settings.” |
| 5 | Link Sharing at a Specific Time | Starts a shared video at a chosen timestamp. | Click “Share” > Check “Start at” > Copy the link. |
| 6 | Reminder to Take Breaks | Send notifications to take a break while watching. | Go to “Settings” > “General” > Enable “Remind me to take a break.” |
| 7 | Watch Videos in 360° or VR | Allows immersive viewing with 360° or VR mode. | Use a VR headset or select “360°” from the video settings. |
| 8 | Pause Search and Watch History | Stops YouTube from tracking search/watch activity. | Go to “Settings” > “History & Privacy” > Enable “Pause watch history.” |
| 9 | Keyboard Shortcuts | Provides quick controls for video playback. | Press ‘K’ (Play/Pause), ‘J’ (Rewind), ‘L’ (Forward), etc. |
| 10 | Pinch to Zoom | Zooms in on videos for a closer view. | Pinch the screen while watching on mobile. |
