YouTube is now testing a built-in sleep timer, but only with Premium subscribers

GreenEngineering3475@lemmy.world to Android@lemmy.world – 53 points – YouTube is now testing a built-in sleep timer, but only with Premium subscribers
9to5google.com

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/18477295

YouTube is now testing out a welcome feature, a sleep timer, but it only works on mobile and desktop, and only for Premium subscribers.

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So wait they implement autoplay, autoplay then ruins recommendations, and the fix is a sleep timer?

I've never needed this feature, but surely the sleep timer should be an OS feature? I assume Android and iOS have apps for this.

But also it it screws with recommendations, maybe improve that UI first?

This feels like a "faster horses" situation where they have no idea what to do next.

So wait they implement autoplay, autoplay then ruins recommendations, and the fix is a sleep timer?

Who said this was meant to fix recommendations?

You can make a sleep timer using shortcuts in iOS

You don’t need an external app on iOS, it’s built into the Countdown.

(Just go down to ‘When countdown ends’ list and pick ‘Stop playing’. It will stop whatever playing, YT, Spotify, Netflix etc.)

Fuck you Google. I buy your premium pro phones and watches (that you barely improve) and you want me to pay for basic features like PiP or the sleep timer?

Don't be surprised that I use smartube, pipepipe, newpipe and others instead.

Since you mentioned watch, I was surprised that rumours said that Pixel Watch 3 will come with 24 Hr battery life, same as PW 2. That is even below Samsung, much less Oneplus or Ticwatch. Plus, they lock much data behind Fitbit's paywall after granting a six month free subscription, I believe.

Wtf are they doing.

The Fitbit paywall is bullshit too. I don't miss it at all with my pw1.

I have the first Google home with the screen. The second generation with sleep tracking looked nice but you need a monthly subscription... For using the damn sensor that you bought.

For the watches, it's a shame that Google doesn't seem to do anything to improve the amount of apps. There's almost no apps for wearos. Maybe they could bribe some popular apps for a wearos version. Maybe try to create a momentum.

I like having a smart watch but it's basically just for notifications, "fitness", the weather and seeing my next calendar event.

Its only because they're bleeding money with sleeping views right now...

Wouldn't they want to roll this out to all users as soon as possible to save on bandwidth? They have an "are you still watching?" prompt to save on bandwidth as well, right?

But they get ad revenue from ads playing even if you aren't actively watching. Premium subs don't have any ads so they can save bandwidth AND not have to worry about losing ad money.

I thought they get more when people click "skip ad" as its proof the ad was viewed.

Wow, an incredibly basic feature only available to Premium subscribers? How far the mighty have fallen.

I remember having a sleep timer app, on my phone, about a decade ago. It was free and turned off any media playing after a set time, regardless of where the source was coming from. Worked great.. not sure why it's a premium feature, I wouldn't be surprised if that app still exists.

I've been asking for this for literally ten years

That already works in LibreTube, since at least a year, for free of course.

Why is this even news? The intern can implement that feature in like 5 minutes.

It's not technical news, It's newsworthy because of the context.

Kind of like when people in the Soviet Union were allowed to grow vegetables in their own tiny plot of land for personal consumption: it was important because the Soviet Union denied people private ownership, but simply because everybody in the USSR was on the verge of dying of starvation any minute, the Soviets carved out a teeny tiny exception to the rule.

Everybody in the free world was completely nonplussed by the ability to grow your own veggies. But it made the news because it was the Soviet Union.

In this case, the stifling Google mothership implemented a teeny tiny something trivial on their platform, and it's newsworthy because Google is the Soviet Union of the internet in more ways than one.

Of course, people with any sense of freedom and sanity consume Youtube videos with FreeTube, Grayjay, NewPipe, LibreTube, Piped, Invidious or whatever else and look at this thinking "So...?" But it's newsworthy because it comes out of Google.

I didn't know anybody still used the official Youtube client. Or cared about it.

You my friend are living in a bubble. Most users are using default apps. For your own safety do not go out of the bubble, it's wild out there.

99.99% of users are on the official client, as is the case for nearly every major web platform.

I switched off from the official app back to Tubular, a NewPipe fork. I was always a NewPipe user but gave YouTube app the chance because I have a YouTube subscription( though, I mostly used it for YouTube Music). But even with a subscription, third party apps are much superior.

Their is no Sponserblock integration in official app. Plus Shorts and Games thrust on you. Oh, and did I mention whenever I go to certain channels, YouTube asks me if I wish to become a member of that channel for extra perks. Like, I just paid you money, Google, stop asking more.

I use browser for no ads. Applies to many others too. I avoid downloading apps as far as possible.

Would anyone actually use that?

My wife will. She regularly falls asleep to streams on YouTube and has to rewind to the part she fell asleep to.

Though I use Tubular (NewPipe fork) and don't need a timer but, always sleeps faster listening weather report of a remote country.