Google has been testing the feature for quite some time and before its public release, it was only accessible to the subscribers of YouTube Premium. Users will be able to identify the most frequented parts of a video based on the progress bar. The company claims that if the graph behind the bar is high, it means that that particular part of the video has been replayed numerous times. As an example, should a user wish to search for a certain part of a video where a snippet has gone viral, this tool will direct them to that particular timestamp. Prior to the new update, many creators have already started to segregate their content into sections in their lengthier videos, making it easier for viewers to follow their content by chapter using the timestamps they have provided. However, with the new addition, it may not be the most anticipated feature to some content creators on the platform due to it practically being a note saying, “this is boring so you can skip this part.” It could also regress their financial earnings as many YouTubers rely on ad breaks, which will become a major issue because of the nature of the update. Despite this, it does seem like a most useful attribute for those who visit the site solely to watch video content. The feature will be available across the board, on iOS, Android and PC platforms. (Source: TechCrunch, The Verge, 9to5Google) Irfan Iskandar contributed to this article.
