YouTube is rolling out a sleep timer on its mobile app and desktop version that pauses the video playback after a specified time. The feature is currently being tested with premium subscribers; YouTube on TVs is excluded from this test for now. According to the Google-owned video streaming platform, Sleep timer lets users set a timer to automatically pause playback after a certain amount of time.
YouTube Premium subscribers can access the feature by going to Settings and then selecting "Try experimental new features." After signing up, the user needs to go to Settings, from where the Sleep Timer option will be visible in the playback menu on desktop.
Users can choose from 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes, and 60 minutes. Users can also choose for the timer to end at the conclusion of the video.
If the playback is paused once, users can extend the timer through a pop-up that appears. Unless the user extends the timer, the playback will remain paused.
On Android, the option can be found in the Additional Settings while watching the video.
The feature is available for YouTube Premium subscribers until September 2 and may be introduced more widely in the upcoming months.
The sleep timer was first spotted in June during testing. This feature will prevent playback of videos after the predetermined time. Unnecessary playback influences the recommendations and watch history on the video streaming platform and also drains the battery of the device.
Spotify already offers sleep timers, while TikTok has experimented with a similar feature in the past.
See What’s Next in Tech With the Fast Forward Newsletter
Tweets From @varindiamag
Nothing to see here - yet
When they Tweet, their Tweets will show up here.
