According to my mobile usage statistics, I use the YouTube app between 20 and 45 minutes each day. It may seem like a lot, but I tend to watch (or listen to) videos constantly, even in the background and especially at night, and The vast majority of the time I do it from my mobile.
Even so, I constantly discover new functions in the Android app and on the same platform, which have helped me to optimize the way I use YouTube on my smartphone, and they have even limited my use of the app. Below you will find the hidden features and tricks that have helped me get the most out of the app.
More privacy, better recommendations, usage limits and more
Google has put a lot of effort into making the YouTube app for mobile devices as user-friendly as possible, with the clear intention that you spend as much time as possible watching videos or Shorts (or, better yet, both!) . The interface is intuitive, the thumbnails are large and it is very easy to subscribe to a channel or “Like” a video. There are even gestures to move the video forward or back a few seconds.
However, There are tricks and functions that cannot be found at first glance, appear to be hidden within the deepest levels of the app’s settings menu and the user’s Google account. But don’t worry, in the following list you will find some of the most useful tricks, features and gestures when using YouTube on Android.
Control everything YouTube knows you’ve watched
- Delete the history of watched videos: Access the YouTube app on your Android mobile, tap your profile photo in the lower right corner and press the gear-shaped Settings button. Now, press “Manage all history” and, if necessary, select the Google account again (in case you have several Google accounts associated with your mobile). You can press the button “Delete” and select whether you want to delete your video history watched on the same day, delete a defined period of time, or delete all activity. Additionally, on the left there is a calendar-shaped button, you can press it and choose to see the activity prior to a specific date. This allows, for example, to delete all video history up to January 2023, or up to a week ago, as you prefer.
- Automatic history deletion: On the same screen you are on, you can select “Automatic deletion” and schedule the history of watched videos to be deleted every 3, 18 or 36 months. Of course, you can also delete history manually whenever you want.
- Delete specific videos from history: On this same screen, if you scroll down, you will see a record of the last videos you have watched on the platform and the last searches you have done. You can delete the videos and searches you want from the history one by one.
- Pause your watched video history for a period of time: In the previous window, called “YouTube History”, access the “Controls” tab. Here you can completely disable the recording of the history of watched videos, or choose not to store the searches you perform on YouTube. You can turn history on or off whenever you want.
- Delete “Likes” and comments on videos: Finally, on the same “YouTube History” screen, access the “Interactions” tab. Here you can see your video like history, comments you’ve made, and more. Of course, you can delete all the “Likes” and comments you want.
More gesture control when watching videos
- Find exactly the moment you want to see: When you watch a video in full screen, the most common thing is to slide your finger on the red bar and search, little by little, for that moment you want to see. But if you hold your finger on the red bar and swipe up slightly, you’ll be taken to a preview that makes it super easy to find that exact moment in a video you want to watch.
- Full screen or thumbnail, much faster– Look no further for the button to enlarge the screen. When playing a video, simply swipe up from the middle of the image to view the video in full screen. And when you watch the video in full screen you can swipe down from the top of the screen to shrink the image again. These gestures are especially useful when you have blocked the automatic rotation of the mobile screen.
- Choose how much time passes when you double-tap the screen: One of the best-known gestures in the YouTube Android app is to double-tap the screen to go forward or back 10 seconds, but it is possible to modify the amount of time that changes by default when doing this gesture. Tap on your profile photo in the app, press the gear-shaped button, and then go to “General.” Now, tap the “Double press to go forward or backward” option and choose between 5, 10, 15, 20, 30 or 60 seconds. Remember that the more times you use the “double tap” gesture, the more you can fast forward or rewind the video.
Taking a break from YouTube and more important settings
- Limit your time in the YouTube app: If you feel like you spend too much time watching videos on YouTube, you can set a reminder to avoid exceeding the limit you set for yourself. Click on your profile photo in the app, go to “Settings” and now “General”. Here you can set a reminder so that every time a certain amount of time passes, the app will remind you that perhaps you have been watching smartphone unboxing videos for too long and you should take a break.
- It’s time to go to sleep– On the same screen, you can also set a reminder for when it’s time to sleep. But of course, you will be the one who decides if you pay attention to the reminder or ignore it and continue watching videos until 1:00am (I confess, it has happened to me).
- Check exactly how much time you’ve spent on YouTube: Tap your profile photo and scroll down to the “Playtime” option. Here you will find the exact time you have spent watching videos on YouTube during the last week, and the average daily time. Plus, you also have quick access to reminders for taking breaks and bedtime.
- Turn off autoplay: If you want another video to no longer play every time you finish watching one, either because you want to read the comments or for whatever reason, there is a solution. Click on your profile photo, select autoplay and deactivate this option. This will prevent videos from playing automatically on your mobile or tablet, but not on your TV or computer.
- Use restricted mode: If you are going to lend your phone to a child and you do not want them to encounter videos created for adults, you can go to the settings menu, then “General” and scroll down until you find the “Restricted mode” option. Activate it for as long as you need, although the YouTube app itself remembers that this filter is not 100% accurate.
- Use incognito mode: Finally, if you want to watch videos and not have them affect YouTube’s personalized recommendations, you can use incognito mode. Tap your profile photo and scroll through the options until you find “Turn on incognito mode.” You can deactivate it from the section where your profile photo is usually located. However, you should keep in mind that when you use Incognito Mode you will see advertisements even if you pay for YouTube Premium, since Premium benefits are specifically associated with your account.
- One last tip, but use it carefully.: If YouTube recommends a video on a topic that doesn’t interest you, you can press the three-dot button and select “I’m not interested” or “Do not recommend the channel.” But be careful, undoing this action, if you regret it, involves more steps: you must go to Google’s “My Activity” page from the desktop, select “Other Activity” in the left column and click on “Delete” in the option “Information about “I’m not interested” on YouTube”.
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