YouTube, the world’s most popular video-sharing platform, is experimenting with a new feature that shows the number of views and likes a video has in real-time. This feature is currently available to some users who have noticed that the views and likes counters on the YouTube app update as they watch a video.
The real-time feature works by displaying a small animation on the views and likes counters as they increase or decrease while the video is playing. The animation is similar to the one used for the live chat feature on YouTube live streams. The feature is intended to provide a more engaging and interactive experience for the viewers, as they can see how popular a video is at any given moment.
Why is YouTube testing this feature?
YouTube has not officially announced or explained the purpose of this feature, but some possible reasons are:
- To encourage more engagement and feedback from the viewers, as they can see how their views and likes affect the video’s popularity.
- To provide more transparency and accuracy for the video’s performance, as the views and likes are updated in real-time instead of being delayed or rounded up.
- To create more excitement and curiosity for the viewers, as they can see how a video is trending or going viral in real-time.
How to access this feature?
The real-time feature is not available to everyone, as YouTube is testing it with a limited number of users. There is no way to manually enable or disable this feature, as it depends on YouTube’s algorithm and server. Some users have reported that the feature appears randomly on some videos, while others have not seen it at all. The feature is also not consistent across different devices and platforms, as some users have seen it on the YouTube app for Android, iOS, or web, while others have not.
What are the reactions to this feature?
The real-time feature has received mixed reactions from the YouTube community. Some users have praised the feature as a cool and fun addition that makes watching videos more interesting and interactive. Others have criticized the feature as a distracting and annoying gimmick that adds no value and clutters the screen. Some users have also expressed concerns about the feature’s impact on the video’s quality and performance, as it may cause more lagging, buffering, or glitches.
What are the alternatives to this feature?
If you are not a fan of the real-time feature, or if you want to see more detailed and accurate statistics for a video, you can use some of the following alternatives:
- YouTube Studio: This is the official tool for YouTube creators, where they can access various analytics and insights for their videos, such as views, watch time, revenue, audience, and more. YouTube Studio is available as a web app or a mobile app for Android and iOS devices.
- SocialCounts.org: This is a third-party website that provides real-time YouTube live video view counts for any video on YouTube. You can also compare the live view counts of different videos, channels, or profiles on YouTube. SocialCounts.org uses YouTube’s original API and advanced technology to provide nearly accurate estimations of live view counts.
- TubeRanker: This is another third-party website that provides various tools and resources for YouTube creators, such as keyword research, video optimization, channel audit, and more. TubeRanker also offers a feature called YouTube Realtime Views, where you can check the real-time views and likes for any video on YouTube, as well as the estimated revenue and ranking.