YouTube will kill its direct messaging feature starting September 18. Instead of chat, the feature was largely used by viewers to share videos on the platform, especially on smartphones.
While YouTube hasn’t officially commented on why exactly it decided to remove the feature, but the video streaming service said it would focus more to boost its comments section.
‘We're constantly re-evaluating our priorities and have decided to discontinue YouTube's native direct messaging feature while we focus on improving public conversations. We look forward to better moderation features and tools for YouTube comments in the future,’ said YouTube.
Users will still be able to share videos directly from the website by tapping on the ‘social network icon.’ And if you are browsing over desktop, you can just copy-paste links.
In March, YouTube Music and YouTube Premium was introduced in the country. YouTube Music is free but it will be supported by ads. Consumers have an option to opt for ad-free version that costs Rs 99 per month, or they can choose YouTube Premium for Rs 129 a month. Both the two new services are part of Google Play Music and Google Play Movies.
Google also offered a free three-month trial for the consumers, If you are a Galaxy S10 owner, you can enjoy YouTube Premium for four months.
YouTube Music has a diverse library of music. The YouTube Premium also allows users to stream videos in the background even if the phone is locked.
YouTube still acts as the top source for streaming music for users in India, said a report by market research firm Nielsen.
