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YouTube testing upcoming features: AI live chat summaries, Google Lens search, and more
- YouTube has revealed a series of feature tests it is currently running, including AI-generated live chat summaries, channel QR codes, and more.
- These YouTube tests aren’t available to everyone, and it’s specified these are only accessible to small groups of people.
- We’re not sure when these features will launch to the public, or if they will at all.
YouTube continues improving to keep its position as the second most visited website in the world, only beaten by Google.com. The video juggernaut is constantly evolving, testing features through YouTube feature experiments, allowing small groups of people to check them out before these capabilities reach the general public. The latest ones are looking especially interesting. Let’s go over some of the coolest ones together.
Note: These are experimental being tested. Such experiments don’t always make it to the general public, as there is a chance these upgrades may be canceled.
AI-generated live chat summaries
Don’t you hate it when you join a livestream on YouTube and have no idea what the live chat is talking about? Google is working on a fix for this!
AI is all the hype these days, and it seems YouTube is also starting to join the fun in some small ways. The platform is now testing AI-generated live chat summaries. You’ll no longer have to endlessly scroll through a bunch of chats. This feature uses AI to analyze the live chat and give you a summary of how the conversation is going. You can then join the conversation with a bit more context.
- Feature availability: This AI live chat summaries feature is available to “a small percentage of viewers.” It will also only work with live streams in English and only for lives with “super active live chat conversations.” Google also mentions it’s not supported in every country, and the specific markets aren’t specified.
Google Lens search
I like checking out some YouTube reviews before making a purchase, so you’ll often find me looking up product reviews at stores. What if there was an easier way to search for content within YouTube, though?
YouTube is also testing out Google Lens search within the video streaming platform. The function would appear in the search section within the YouTube app. If available, you can use Google Lens to take a picture of a real-life item, and it will look up related content on YouTube.
- Feature availability: Google Lens search is rolling out to a “small percentage of viewers” using the YouTube app on an Android device.
Channel QR codes
Here’s an interesting way to more easily direct people to a YouTube channel: YouTube is testing channel QR codes. This would offer a very convenient method instead of relying on confusing links. QR codes are scannable both online and offline, too.
If the feature is available for a channel, the creator can get this QR code by going to You > Share your channel > QR code on the YouTube application. In addition, viewers can also get it by going to the channel page and selecting Share > QR code.
- Feature availability: YouTube channel QR codes are available for “a small group of creators.”
User-generated effects in YouTube Shorts
Creators with access to this feature will be able to make Shorts much more personal and creative, allowing them to make and publish their own effects directly to YouTube Shorts. If this is available to you, you’ll see the capability within the Effects button when creating a Short.
- Feature availability: This feature is only available to a “small percentage of folks at first.” YouTube is a bit more clear about the plan on this one, though. It plans to bring it to more users “later this year.”