(Web Desk) - YouTube announced significant updates to its short-form video platform, Shorts, on Thursday. Among the new features is the ability for creators to upload videos up to three minutes long.
The platform will introduce an updated Shorts player, new templates, and a dedicated trends page for mobile users.
These updates are aimed at strengthening YouTube's competitive edge against TikTok, which currently allows videos up to 10 minutes long during recording and 60 minutes for uploads.
TikTok's user-friendly approach to trends has also set a high bar. The revamped Shorts player aims to improve user experience by centering creators' content and minimizing clutter.
Interaction buttons will now appear as outlined icons on the right, allowing for a clearer view of the video. However, the changes mean video descriptions will be truncated, requiring users to click "more" to see the full text.
The introduction of templates will enable creators to quickly engage with trending content, mirroring TikTok's popular CapCut feature.
Users will be able to tap a "Remix" option on a Short to utilise existing templates for their videos. Future updates will allow users to remix content directly from the Shorts camera, streamlining the process even further.
To help users discover trends, YouTube will launch a new trends page for mobile, providing insights into popular content within specific countries. This contrasts with TikTok’s approach, which has shifted focus from a Discover page to a Friends tab.
YouTube also plans to introduce a feature that allows users to preview comments from the Shorts feed, potentially boosting interaction.
Another change will let users control the frequency of Shorts in their feeds through a new "Show fewer Shorts" option, although this will only provide a temporary reduction.
YouTube is set to integrate Google DeepMind's video-generating AI model, Veo, later this year, allowing creators to alter video backgrounds and produce standalone clips.