There are features that, due to their simplicity, may seem inconsequential, and this new YouTube test could a priori fit into that group. However, and this is something I usually mention, it’s these little features that in many cases end up making a service, website, app, or whatever, more and better to adapt on the use, needs and preferences of its users. And that’s why they deserve much more attention than they usually get.

In this case, and you already deduced from the title of the message, YouTube is testing a timer that will allow users to preset the amount of time after which autoplay should pause. Whether it’s a particularly long video, a playlist or the platform’s autoplay function, it couldn’t be easier to control, just enter the time and the platform will do the rest.

However, there are two bad news in this regard. The first is that, at least for now, this timer is in the experimental features section, that is This is currently a trial period for a limited timein this case by September 2. And of course, that’s why we don’t know at this point whether after the test and once YouTube analyzes the metrics of the experiment, it will decide to implement this new feature or not.

The second bad news is that, as you may already know, experiments on the platform are only accessible to subscribers premium modalitiesso only paying users will be able to use it during these weeks. And in that regard, while I understand the policy of rewarding these users with exclusive benefits, I think it might make more sense to open up the experiments to all users, as they would have a chance to get a lot more feedback.

It’s not really something that’s exclusive to YouTube. We’ve been seeing this on other platforms for a while nowand I can’t deny how much it surprises me. And I say I’m surprised because the turnaround in the situation in recent decades has been surprising. In one of my first jobs (as an intern) in a software company, one of my duties was to test the software for errors, and other colleagues, not only interns but also workers, performed this activity. So we went from being a paid professional activity to something that a lot of people pay for. Isn’t that a little surprising to you?