Published on January 31st, 2025
YouTube is continuously rolling out new features to enhance user experience, especially for YouTube Premium subscribers.
The platform frequently tests experimental features, allowing Premium users to try them before they are released to the general public.
This approach not only offers early access to new functionalities but also enables YouTube to gather valuable feedback to refine these features further.
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YouTube Premium’s Latest Experimental Features
Earlier this month, on January 22, YouTube announced several new experimental features, alongside an exclusive Google One bundle.
As of last night, all these experimental features have been made available for YouTube Premium users who opt in. The list of new features includes:
- Jump Ahead for Web – Allows users to skip to the most relevant part of a video.
- High-Quality 256kbps Audio – Enhances the audio quality for an improved listening experience.
- Faster Playback Speeds – Enables users to watch videos at speeds of up to 4x.
- Shorts Picture-in-Picture (iOS) – Allows iOS users to watch Shorts while multitasking.
- Shorts Smart Downloads (iOS) – Automatically downloads Shorts for offline viewing.
While most of these features were available soon after the announcement, the 4x playback speed option was the last to be rolled out. Now, Premium users can finally experience faster video playback on their mobile devices.
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What Is YouTube’s 4x Playback Speed Feature?
The new 4x playback speed option enables Premium users to fine-tune video speed, allowing them to watch videos at an accelerated pace.
While watching videos at such high speeds may not be ideal for all content, it can be particularly useful for:
- Skipping through lengthy sections while still understanding the context.
- Quickly reviewing educational or tutorial videos.
- Bypassing intros and sponsor segments efficiently.
Availability and Platform Restrictions
At the moment, the 4x playback speed feature is exclusive to Android and iOS smartphones.
It is not yet available for web or smart TV users. The experiment is open for opt-in until Wednesday, February 26.
How to Opt Into the 4x Playback Speed Experiment
If you’re a YouTube Premium subscriber and want to try out the new faster playback speeds, follow these steps:
- Visit the YouTube Experiments Page (Click Here to go directly to the page).
- Sign in to Your YouTube Premium Account – Ensure that you’re logged in.
- Scroll Down to the ‘Faster Speeds’ Experiment – Locate the section listing new experimental features.
- Tap ‘Try it Out’ – Opt into the feature.
- Wait for Activation – It can take up to an hour for the feature to appear in the YouTube app.
If you see the ‘Turn off’ option after opting in, it means that the feature has been successfully enabled for you.
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Final Thoughts
The 4x playback speed experiment is yet another step by YouTube to enhance the viewing experience for its Premium users.
Whether you want to skim through lengthy videos or absorb content more efficiently, this feature provides a practical solution.
Since the experiment is available for a limited time, Premium users should opt in soon to take advantage of this exclusive functionality.
Would you find a 4x playback speed useful? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
