Unless you have been living under a rock or you’re the frog that got stuck in a well and remained there, you know YouTube. From kids to adults, there’s not a living soul old enough to operate smartphones or computers who haven’t heard of or is not actively using YouTube.
Although there’s strife competition and many new video platforms have come to the fore, YouTube hasn’t been dethroned. More than 800 million people swear by this platform, and this video platform’s popularity is not going anywhere. During the pandemic-induced lockdowns, many full-time professionals became YouTubers, earning money from this platform. For several of them, it was a side hustle that soon turned into their only source of income.
YouTube is a simple platform, and if you use it regularly to watch videos or short films, you know how easy it is to find your favorite artists or content creators. However, there are some settings and features hiding in plain sight that you may have missed. This guide brings them to light.
Quickly Navigate the Platform Using Keyboard Shortcuts
Tapping your fingers or using your computer’s mouse is not an outdated way of navigating the video platform. However, it is not the most efficient.
There are valuable keyboard shortcuts that can make it easier to play or pause a video, fast-forward or backward, etc. You don’t need to remove your finger from the keyboard if you are trying to find something important in the video.
For instance, you can press Spacebar and K to pause and resume videos, Shift + N to skip to the next video, F to enable or disable the full-screen mode, etc.
Don’t let Others Know What you are Watching. Delete history.
You may want to hide your browsing and YouTube history if you share your computer or laptop. YouTube lets you get rid of your browsing history so that nobody knows what you are watching or searching for.
The process of how to delete YouTube search history is straightforward. Whether you are using the platform on your smartphone, Mac, PC, or iPad, follow these simple steps:
- Go to the History tab and access YouTube’s search results > browse through the timeline and delete the separate entries or get rid of search results for a particular date using the Bin shortcut.
Pin the Most Encouraging Comments to Boost Engagement
Are you running a YouTube channel? If you want to get more subscribers and boost engagement, you can leverage the pinned comment feature.
You can pin the comments to encourage viewers to like and subscribe to your channel.
When pinning a comment, it will be a good idea to pin someone else’s comments rather than yours. This will show your viewers you appreciate them.
Download and Watch Content Offline
If you are a premium YouTube member, you can download videos and watch them offline. Typically, the downloaded content will remain in your account for thirty days, and after that, it will automatically get deleted.
To download and watch videos offline, search for the video you want to watch and then look for the download icon. Click on the icon, and the video will be saved in the downloaded folder.
Also, you can keep a local copy of your favorite videos on your computer by downloading them. To do this, you need to use YouTube to MP4 converters. These are readily available online.
After you have chosen a converter, put the video’s URL and then wait for it to finish converting the video. You can also use the converter to convert music videos to MP3 and then download them to your device.
Share Videos Starting at a Specific Time
If you enjoy a particular moment in a video and want to share it with your friends, you can share a specific timestamp. This will save your friends from wasting time and getting straight to the part you want them to see.
Right-click on the video to pick a timestamp, and then click copy the video URL at current time. When you paste the URL, it will include the timestamp, and the video will start at the specified time.
If you are a YouTuber Wanting to Grow Your Channel, These Tips are for you:
- Pick the right niche because you must passionately fill your channel with hundreds of hours of content.
- The name of your channel must be chosen with great dexterity. It should stand apart yet speak volumes of your personality and what the viewers can expect.
- You must maintain a consistent posting schedule.
- You must use relevant keywords in the video title to boost SEO efforts.
- Use appropriate thumbnails to describe your videos.
Conclusion
YouTube is an excellent platform offering hours of entertainment and opportunities to earn money. Use the platform wisely!