6 YouTube tips and tricks that will improve your user experience [Sponsored]

YouTube has become the go-to platform for video watching or playing music. With videos ranging from educational content and tutorials on various subjects to funny compilations and even watching movies, YouTube has reached the number of 1.78 billion users in 2020.

This makes the platform one of the most visited social media sites.

Its interactivity has significantly improved since the emergence of the platform in 2005. From amateur video content to professional corporate and user-generated videos, YouTube’s features make the user experience a seamless one.

However, there are certain tricks and hacks on mobile and desktop versions you might not be aware of. These include video captions, playing videos at a particular time, and many more.

You will be able to get the most of your YouTube experience. And if you don’t have an internet connection, don’t fret, as there is a way of downloading your favorite songs.

So, what are these secret tips exactly? Let’s find out…

Offline use

Before diving into YouTube’s features when you’re using the platform online, it might help you know you can still save or listen to your favourite playlists when you don’t have access to the internet.

Online converter

If you are not willing to invest in YouTube’s premium service just yet, you don’t have to give up listening to music or your podcasts altogether. There are digital apps that allow you to convert any YouTube videos and, therefore, download them on your device.

This way, you will never have to worry about that unpleasant feeling of not being able to listen to music when you’re on the road and your phone is losing signal.

If you’re wondering how to convert YouTube to MP3, it’s simple and you will have your desired songs in no time.

Once you have found your online converter, you’re already halfway there. What you need to do is follow a few easy steps, such as:

• Copy-paste the video link: When you have decided on which videos you would like to convert, simply copy the URL link of the respective video. Then paste it into the app’s designated area.
• MP3 format: The next step includes a window with output formats. Choose the MP3 one.
• Wait for download: Finally, the app will download the MP3 version of the video you selected. Save it to your device and listen whenever!

Besides being able to convert to MP3, an online converter will give you the chance to also convert YouTube videos to MP4 and even choose the desired resolution.

This could be useful if you are watching educational video content that you would like to keep on your phone.

Premium

YouTube Premium is a subscription-based service that the platform offers that unlocks certain features and has some advantages. For instance, you will be able to listen to music in the background – so when you need to access another app on your smartphone, the music won’t stop. Besides this, you will also be free of unwanted adverts on YouTube.

If you can commit to a monthly subscription, you will have the possibility to watch movies and TV shows you otherwise need to rent or buy from YouTube.

Use the captions feature

With several videos, you have the possibility to turn on captions that act as subtitles to videos. So, when you are unable to play a video with sound, or it might be challenging to comprehend what someone is saying in the video, this gives you the chance to follow the content better.

Moreover, you won’t be restricted from content in other languages, as you can still watch them by using these captions.

Depending on which device you are using YouTube on, turning on the captions features differs. On a mobile device, you can find it from the three dots at the top right-hand corner, while on desktop, it is available from the gear icon at the bottom right-hand corner.

Choose when to start a video

If you are watching longer videos of interviews or perhaps a conference, you might want to share it with a friend or co-worker. However, when the content is too long, it could be difficult to pinpoint precisely the exact moment you would like to highlight. In this case, YouTube has a feature that allows you to send a video from a specific time.

To do this, you can right-click on the video and select from the drop-down menu the option which says “copy video URL at current time”. Then you send this link to your contact and that person will be able to start it from the time chosen by you.

Similarly, you could do the same by clicking the share button and checking the box which says “start at”. This way, you can insert the specific time and copy the new URL link for sharing.

Choose different resolution and speed

No matter the type of video you are watching or if you are simply listening to music, YouTube offers you the possibility to adjust the resolution.

Depending on how professional the camera used to film the video content is, the resolution could be in a high-definition mode. On the other hand, if your internet connection is not very good, setting a low resolution could help you play the video regardless of the Wi-Fi strength.

Besides choosing the quality of the video, the video streaming platform allows its users to set a different speed when watching videos. Besides the standard option, which plays the video normally, you have two or three faster and slower speeds.

You can find this option in the video settings.

Safe Mode

Apart from all these tricks that can facilitate your user experience, there is another feature that is essential if you are a parent.

Kids nowadays are more tech-savvy than their parents were at their age, so it will become inevitable that your child will want to watch cartoons or play games on electronic devices and gadgets. In this case, it is crucial you create a digital environment that they can explore safely.

For this reason, YouTube has created an extension app called YouTube Kids.

This version is curated to only have content suitable for children from reliable sources.

With so many things being uploaded on the internet daily, it is vital for parents to control the type of content their children watch online.

Feature image: Unsplash/Christian Wiediger

This article is supplied and sponsored by SnapDownloader