Do you want to maximize your YouTube experience? With our top 10 YouTube hacks, tips and tricks for better video-watching, you can do just that! From personalized suggestions to a vast selection of videos, these tips are for both free and premium users. Discover the best ways to use the video streaming site and improve your experience.
Top 10 Best YouTube Tips and Tricks
1. Pause YouTube Search and Watch History
YouTube shows video suggestions on the homepage based on your search and viewing history. Imagine your friends using your smartphone to access your YouTube account. In that situation, you can stop your search and viewing history momentarily to avoid receiving personalized video suggestions.
To pause your YouTube search and watch history:
- Open the YouTube app or go to the YouTube website.
- Click on your profile icon in the top right corner of the screen.
- Select “History” from the drop-down menu.
- Click on the “Pause search history” or “Pause watch history” button.
- Confirm that you want to pause your search or watch history by clicking “Pause.”
- Your search and watch history will now be paused and will not be recorded until you choose to resume it.
Note: If you want to resume your search or watch history, simply click on the “Resume search history” or “Resume watch history” button in the history menu.
2. “Set a Reminder” to Take a Break
Did you know you can open YouTube to watch your favorite creator’s most recent upload but wind up spending the rest of your spare time watching videos about pets or an explanation of an extraterrestrial visit to Earth? You can set a reminder to stop viewing videos or when it’s time to go to bed so that you don’t let YouTube’s clever algorithms ruin your day and night.
To set a reminder or break on YouTube, follow these steps:
- Open the YouTube app or website and sign in to your account
- Click on the three horizontal lines in the top left corner of the screen to open the menu.
- Scroll down and click on “Settings.”
- Under “General,” click on “Remind me to take a break.”
- Set the frequency of your reminders (e.g. every 15 minutes, every 30 minutes, every hour) and choose whether you want to receive notifications on your phone or desktop.
- Click “Save” to activate your reminders.
To take a break, simply click on the notification when it pops up and follow the prompts to pause your video and step away from the screen for a few minutes. When you’re ready to continue watching, simply click the notification again to resume your video.
3. Create a GIF from a YouTube Video
Have you ever wanted to create a GIF out of a humorous action you saw in a YouTube video? Here’s a YouTube Hack about how to take a YouTube video and turn it into a GIF that becomes popular among your friends.
To create a GIF from a YouTube video, you will need to use a third-party tool or software. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to do it:
- Go to the YouTube video that you want to create a GIF from.
- Copy the URL of the video.
- Go to a GIF creation tool such as GIPHY, Gifs.com, or Imgflip.
- Paste the URL of the YouTube video into the designated field on the GIF creation tool.
- Select the start and end time of the video that you want to convert into a GIF.
- Choose any additional options such as the size and looping of the GIF.
- Click on the “Create GIF” button to generate the GIF.
- The GIF will be generated and you can save it to your computer or share it on social media or other platforms.
4. Use Restricted Mode
YouTube restricted mode filters out potentially inappropriate content to create a safer and age-appropriate viewing experience, particularly for children. It hides flagged content, though it may not catch all. It can be enabled or disabled on account settings or individual devices, but it’s not a substitute for adult supervision.
To use Restricted mode on YouTube:
- Open YouTube on your device and sign in to your account if you are not already signed in.
- Click on your profile picture in the top right corner of the screen and select “Settings” from the drop-down menu.
- In the left side menu, click on “Restricted Mode Filtering.”
- Toggle the switch next to “Activate Restricted Mode” to turn it on.
- YouTube will now only show videos that have been flagged as suitable for all audiences. If you want to further restrict the content that is shown, click on “Lock Restricted Mode on this browser” and enter a PIN to lock the setting in place.
- To turn off Restricted mode, simply toggle the switch back to the off position or enter your PIN to unlock the setting.
5. Share a YouTube Video for a Specific Time
You may simply make a shareable YouTube link that starts at a set moment if you enjoy a particular bit of a YouTube video and want to share it with your friends rather than asking them to fast-forward. Neat YouTube hack right?
To share a YouTube video for a specific time, you can use the following format:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
Simply copy the URL and add “?t=the specific time”
Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6B6Do2sbVz0?t=2m57s
For example, if you want to share the video “This 18-year-old is going to start reading books from now on!” at the 2minutes 25 secs mark, the URL would be:
This will take viewers directly to the 2 Minutes 25 Secs mark of the video when they click on the link. You can also use seconds instead of minutes if you prefer, by replacing “m” with “s”.
6. Check Video Transcripts
YouTube video transcripts are written versions of audio and visual content, providing accessibility for deaf or hard of hearing viewers and those who prefer to read. They also improve SEO by helping YouTube and search engines understand and make the video more searchable.
To see the transcript of a video on YouTube, follow these steps:
- Find the video you want to see the transcript for and open it on YouTube.
- Click on the “More” button located under the video title (it looks like three dots stacked vertically).
- From the dropdown menu that appears, select “Transcript”
This will open the transcript of the video in a separate window. You can use the transcript to navigate through the video by clicking on a specific line of the transcript, which will cause the video to jump to that point.
Please note that not all videos on YouTube have transcripts available. The availability of transcripts depends on whether the video creator has provided one.
7. Incognito on YouTube
YouTube incognito mode enables users to anonymously watch videos and browse the site without leaving a trace of their activity on their account or device. This can be useful for privacy or to avoid content recommendations based on watch history. It can be achieved by creating an account without personal information or using a pseudonym.
To enable Incognito on YouTube, follow these steps:
- Open the YouTube app on your device.
- Tap on your profile picture in the top right corner of the screen.
- Select “Turn on Incognito” from the menu.
- A pop-up window will appear, explaining what Incognito mode does. Read the information and tap “Got it” to proceed.
- You will now be in Incognito mode. To disable Incognito, follow the same steps and select “Turn off Incognito” from the menu.
Note: Incognito mode on YouTube only hides your activity within the app and does not prevent your internet service provider or government from tracking your online activity.
8. YouTube Time Stats
The YouTube Time Stats feature allows users to see how much time they have spent watching videos on the platform. It is available on both desktop and mobile devices.
- Sign in to your YouTube account.
- In the top right corner of the screen, click on your profile picture.
- From the drop-down menu, select “History, and then select “Time Watched.”
- Here, you will be able to see a breakdown of the time you have spent watching videos on YouTube. You can also click on the “Filter by” option to view specific time periods or types of content.
- To see more detailed information about a specific video, click on the title.
- To reset your time-watched data, click on the “Clear all watch history” option in the top right corner.
- Confirm that you want to clear your watch history by clicking on the “Clear watch history” button.
9. Use YouTube Filters
YouTube search filters are a set of options that allow users to narrow down their search results on YouTube by specifying certain criteria, such as the duration of the video, the type of content, the language, the region, and the upload date. These filters help users find more specific and relevant results for their search queries and make it easier to discover new content on YouTube.
One of the most sophisticated tools available on YouTube is the search filter, which you may use to increase the relevancy of your search. The filters page contains a number of choices, all of which are extremely useful tools. You may start filtering from the video’s release date all the way up to its rating.
10. YouTube Keyboard Shortcuts
Another neat YouTube hack is YouTube keyboard. These shortcuts are a series of keys that can be pressed to perform specific actions within the YouTube website or app. These actions can include things like pausing and playing a video, adjusting the volume, skipping to the next or previous video, and more.
To access keyboard shortcuts on YouTube, follow these steps:
- To access YouTube’s keyboard shortcuts, press “Shift” + “?” while in the YouTube website, or go to the “Help” icon in the top right corner.
- Select “Keyboard Shortcuts” in the General settings.
- Use shortcuts like “Space” to pause/play, “M” to mute/unmute, and “Left arrow” and “Right arrow” to skip.
- Customize your own shortcuts in the “General” settings of your YouTube account.
Final Verdict
In conclusion, these are the top 10 YouTube hacks, tips and tricks to enhance your video-watching experience. By utilizing these tips, you can fully utilize the popular video streaming platform. If you have any other tips to add, please leave a comment below. Share this article with your friends who frequently use YouTube to help them improve their experience as well. And don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter to stay updated on the latest technological developments.