According to Neowin, YouTube is testing a new in-app messaging and video sharing feature that’s currently rolling out exclusively to users 18 years or older in Ireland and Poland. The company confirmed this is a “top-requested feature” that lets people share videos and have conversations directly within the YouTube mobile app. Users must be signed into a YouTube channel and can invite others to share videos through the notification bell icon. Once someone accepts your invitation, you can start sharing videos and messaging directly in the app. YouTube had previously launched and then discontinued an instant messaging feature back in 2017. There’s no timeline yet for when this current experiment might expand to other countries or become available to everyone.
How this messaging experiment actually works
Here’s the thing – this isn’t just slapping a chat feature onto YouTube. The whole system revolves around that notification bell icon you already use for channel updates. To get started, you tap the bell, then select the option to invite others to share videos. You send them an invite link, they can accept or decline, and once they’re in, you can start sharing videos directly while watching them using the existing share button.
And get this – you view all your conversations under Messages after tapping that same notification bell. It’s actually pretty clever how they’re integrating it into existing UI elements rather than creating a whole new section. You can long-press to delete conversations and block users if things get weird. Basically, they’re trying to keep the video-sharing ecosystem contained within their own walls.
Why bring back messaging now?
This feels like YouTube realizing they’re losing valuable engagement data every time someone shares a video link through WhatsApp or iMessage. When you share through third-party apps, YouTube gets zero insight into those conversations. They don’t know if people are actually watching, what they’re saying about the content, or how these shares lead to more views.
But is this really what users want? I mean, we already have a dozen messaging apps on our phones. Do we need another one, even if it’s tied to video sharing? Spotify recently added direct messaging too, so maybe there’s something to this trend of media platforms wanting to keep users engaged within their ecosystem. Still, convincing people to use yet another messaging platform feels like an uphill battle.
The privacy angle and rollout strategy
Starting in just two countries – Ireland and Poland – is classic Google. They often test features in smaller markets before considering global rollout. The 18+ age restriction makes sense given YouTube’s ongoing struggles with content moderation and child safety concerns.
And let’s be real – messaging features always come with moderation headaches. YouTube will need to figure out how to handle spam, harassment, and inappropriate content in these private conversations. The ability to block users is essential, but will it be enough? Given YouTube’s scale, even a small percentage of bad actors could create massive problems.
The bigger platform strategy
This move feels like part of YouTube’s broader effort to become more than just a video player. They want to be a social platform where communities form around content. Think about it – creators are always begging viewers to share their videos. Now YouTube can facilitate that sharing directly, potentially creating tighter feedback loops between creators and their audiences.
The real question is whether users will actually adopt this. We’re creatures of habit, and most of us already have established patterns for sharing videos with friends. Breaking those habits won’t be easy, even if the feature is seamlessly integrated. But if YouTube can make the experience significantly better than copying and pasting links, they might just pull it off. After all, who wouldn’t want an easier way to share those perfect video moments with friends?
