Google recently improved the YouTube viewing experience on TV devices. After observing that many YouTube users are watching and interacting with videos on the big screen in addition to the mobile app, the YouTube company has now introduced a new feature that allows the TV app to connect iOS and Android devices, enabling cross-connectivity Device sync video.
YouTube says this makes it easier for users to use other YouTube features, such as comments, buttons or creator support. The company points to a study that found that more than 80 percent of people claim to use other digital devices while watching TV to drive this product decision. It then looked at how people use their YouTube mobile app and found that many people open videos while watching YouTube on TV and interact with content on their devices through likes, subscriptions, and more.
YouTube said it saw an opportunity to leverage this user behavior to address the challenges it faced in designing experiences for the big screen. Its designers have struggled for years to make the TV app easier to use because the remote control is difficult to navigate, most TVs don’t have a built-in web browser, and often less space is available – especially when the user is watching the full-screen video.
The new mobile feature helps address some of these challenges, as it allows users to turn to their mobile apps instead of just syncing their phones with their TVs. This feature is the opposite of the usual “casting”, where the user taps the screencasting icon in the YouTube mobile app to connect the phone to the TV. After opening the YouTube app on their TV, they can open the mobile app on their phone and click “Connect” on the prompt that appears to sync their viewing.
YouTube confirmed that the new feature does not rely on casting protocols such as Google Cast or DIAL to work. Instead, users simply log into their YouTube accounts on both devices. A spokesperson said the end-user experience has no technical complications.
Once synced through the new feature, users will be able to interact directly with videos on their phones while watching, which YouTube says makes it easier to read video descriptions, make comments, share videos with friends, or use other features to support creators, such as Super Comments or channel memberships, etc.
But the feature also lays the groundwork for other experiences YouTube is building, including e-commerce. The company said it is already testing a new design for its video watch page, which will make it easier for users to browse and buy products seen in videos directly from the big screen. These designs will help guide users to their mobile devices when they are ready to buy.
In this case, a message may appear on the large screen advising the user to open the mobile app for a “second-screen experience.” When they do, they see a list of products featured in the video, which they can then click to view.
YouTube has been expressing interest in online shopping for some time, launching live shopping last year, followed by other enhancements such as product shelves and shoppable ads. At its Brandcast event in May, YouTube also said it would soon roll out more live shopping features, including syndicated broadcasts where creators can stream together and redirects that direct creators’ viewers to the brand’s channel.