Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- YouTube has been testing varied implementations of a “Play one thing” button since at the least final yr.
- The most recent presents as a Floating Motion Button (FAB) that serves up random content material within the Shorts participant.
- Proper now it’s nonetheless unclear when Google may be able to decide to the function.
YouTube’s place amongst streaming companies is a bit distinctive, with its user-created content material representing arguably essentially the most various assortment of video the world’s ever seen. And whereas meaning there’s virtually at all times going to be one thing new and proper up your alley to take a look at, the sheer variety of viewing choices out there can completely really feel a little bit overwhelming. At this time we’re looking at one in-development tweak to the app that would quickly supply a simple answer for when you end up unable to resolve what to look at subsequent.
Between subscriptions, solutions, and simply switching on autoplay and forgetting about it, it’s not like we’re precisely hurting for choices to get new YouTube movies earlier than our eyes. However Google appears to be taking part in round with the thought of an much more express possibility for simply getting a brand new video taking part in with as little friction as potential.
YouTube has been noticed testing a “Play one thing” Floating Motion Button (FAB), as reported by 9to5Google. The button in its present kind lives close to the underside of the display, and tapping it launches right into a Shorts participant and immediately begins serving you content material. The positioning notes that you just nonetheless appear to have the ability to get regular-length (and facet ratio) YouTube movies right here, even with this participant format.
Google’s been kicking this concept round for what really feel like ever, and varied implementations have been noticed in testing. Again in Might of 2023, Reddit consumer ginajcole posted about discovering a “Play one thing” banner, and that November Android Police seen a brand new FAB that appeared to do the identical — although dropping the “Play one thing” branding. This newest spherical of testing appears to convey all these earlier concepts collectively in a single kind.
Even with this sense like essentially the most mature stage of Google’s testing up to now, it’s exhausting to say precisely when or if this may be able to turn out to be a correct YouTube function. Will Google simply carry on sporadically testing because it makes its thoughts about about the way forward for “Play one thing”? Might it present up in YouTube labs for testers to choose in to making an attempt out? At this stage, we’d simply be joyful to see Google make its thoughts up about following via on this somehow.
