YouTube has begun testing a new feature called ‘Hype’ which is equivalent to that of the ‘Like’ and ‘Share’ functionalities available inside the streaming platform’s app. The feature has been introduced with an aim to give small creators a boost on YouTube. The platform has also set an eligibility criteria to be a part of the experiment.
As announced by YouTube on a Google support page, the post reads, “We are testing a new feature that will help smaller creators receive community support and also be discovered by new audiences (translated).” The new Hype feature on YouTube has been announced only for viewers in Brazil, Turkey and Taiwan.
Once a viewer becomes a part of the experiment, they should ideally see a ‘Hype’ button when a video is being played on YouTube. Viewers can then hype a video published in the last seven days. “The more viewers hype a video, the greater the chance of it appearing in the ranking with other hyped videos that week,” read the announcement.
In addition, YouTube clarified that “hypes are not used as an indicator for YouTube’s search and discovery system.” That may be because these metrics can be easily manipulated and do not necessarily reflect long-term viewer interest or content quality.
Aside from that, the eligibility criteria to be a part of the experiment is that you should be enrolled in the YouTube Partnership Program content creators and have less than 500,000 subscribers with videos following community guidelines.
In another recent change announced by YouTube, its app on iOS will soon be asking users for their permission to allow tracking their online activity for a more personalised ads experience. The new update complies with Apple’s guidelines introduced in iOS 14.5 back in 2021, requiring app developers to inform users about tracking and obtain their consent.