After a long wait, YouTube users are finally getting a much-anticipated feature: a sleep timer. Already tested on YouTube Music, this handy functionality is now being trialed on Android devices for the YouTube app. Here’s what this new feature will bring:
YouTube App to Include Sleep Timer Feature
YouTube Music introduced the sleep timer feature in February 2023, stepping up its competition with other music players on Android. However, the broader YouTube app lacked this feature—until now. An APK teardown by Android Authority revealed references to a sleep timer in the latest version of YouTube’s Android app (v19.25.33). With this feature, users can set the playback duration in hours or minutes and have the video stop automatically when the time is up.
On YouTube Music, the timer options were limited to 5 minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, and 1 hour. The YouTube app may adopt a more flexible approach. When the timer ends, users can either reset the time or choose “OK” to continue watching the video. Additionally, a notification displaying the countdown will appear in the notification bar.
Netflix had tested a sleep timer in its Android app in 2021 but later removed the feature. Currently, similar features are not available on other popular video streaming services.
The development of YouTube’s sleep timer feature is still underway, and it is not yet clear when it will officially be released. The development of this feature on YouTube Music took nine months, so a similar timeline might be expected for the YouTube app. The feature is also anticipated to be available on iOS, though its availability on the web and other devices remains uncertain.
The addition of a sleep timer to the YouTube app will make video playback more manageable and provide significant convenience for users who listen to music, podcasts, or watch long videos. This feature is sure to be warmly received by YouTube’s already vast user base.
