YouTube tests a game-changing way to cut down time wasted on videos

YouTube dominates online video, but it has its flaws. The platform's algorithm is widely criticized for recommending misleading content and not doing enough to curb it. While the company's efforts may not be as effective as it would have liked, it doesn't shy away from addressing the clickbait problem.

We saw the effort in the past, and we are seeing it yet again. YouTube has started testing something called "Discover videos with Previews," a new feature to ensure you don't waste time on misleading content. Google hasn't explicitly said that it'll help curb misleading content, but it looks like that's the primary objective behind this feature.

How is YouTube planning to save you from wasting time on misleading videos?

On its official support website, while explaining the "Discover videos with Previews," Google noted that it displays five to 10 previews of videos already recommended for you. The preview will show users 'short and engaging moments' from the video, making it easier for you to quickly decide whether you want to watch the full video, skip, or add to "watch later."

This should help users combat content that tries to bait users into clicking the video by using a misleading thumbnail. These pieces of content usually have entirely different things to say than what their thumbnail claims. So, even if YouTube recommends any of these videos, you can easily spot them by previewing them before actually opening the full video.

While it could completely change how you watch YouTube, this could hurt creators. If it provides you with the best part of the video, you may not always want to watch the entire video. It'll depend a lot on how YouTube plays those previews and what type of content you are watching. For example, if a preview of a tutorial video reveals the key steps, there is no real incentive for users to watch the full video.

It's great for viewers, as it'll save them time. However, this may reduce deep engagements for creators, leading to a negative impact on their revenue. We won't find the feature's overall impact on viewers and creators right now because the company is testing the feature with "a small percentage of users on the Android mobile app."

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If your account is selected for the experiment, you'll see an "entry card" on your homepage. Once the card appears on the homepage, click on it to see the previews. However, the company hasn't provided us with any information on the length of the previews, nor has it shared any details on when it'll expand the feature to more people.