Hisham Sarwar
A new in-app messaging feature is being tested on iOS and Android by the Google-owned video platform YouTube, Tech Crunch reports. This feature will allow users to exchange texts, clips, and links without leaving the app. But this incredible feature is just available in Canada right now. According to Google’s product manager Shimrit Ben Yair, the reason behind the running trials in Canada is that videos are shared in this country more than anywhere else.
This messaging platform is considered to be open and direct without possessing any particular video centric features. But because of this straightforward feature, YouTube is expected to become more social and casual in the near future. The idea of giving certain channels the choice to send direct messages to the audience was also toyed by Google a few months ago. But last year in May it was very briefly tested with in-app messaging.
The purpose of this idea is to encourage creators and fans to interact more on YouTube rather than resorting to other social media platforms such as Facebook, Reddit, and Twitter. But it is still not clear whether Google has finally decided upon rolling out this feature to all its users. The recent trials in Canada indicate that Google is still working on turning YouTube into more of a social network rather than just a video platform. For getting an early preview of the new feature, users living in other countries will have to ask one of their Canadian friends to add them in a conversation. That is the only way for having a quick look for the new feature.
