YouTube today introduced a new feature called 'YouTube Shorts,' and as the name itself suggests, it is a direct rival to TikTok in India. YouTube Shorts is a new video experience that lets a user create short videos right from the YouTube mobile app. With TikTok already banned in the country, YouTube Shorts might gain some momentum and give a tough competition to Instagram Reels. According to YouTube, Shorts is a new short-form video experience for creators and artists who want to shoot short, catchy videos using nothing but their mobile phones. The feature has been made available today for Android and iOS users
YouTube Shorts: What Exactly Is It?
YouTube is rolling out an early beta of Shorts in India. The India-first feature includes a new camera and a few editing tools. YouTube promises to add more features over the coming months. Furthermore, YouTube is also rolling out an updated app for Android users.
As mentioned above, YouTube Shorts is a new way to express yourself in 15 seconds or less. Do make a note that users can only create vertical videos on the YouTube app. The feature is already being rolled out to the users in India on both Android and iOS platforms.
If you have received the new YouTube Shorts feature, here's how to create your first Short. Hit the "+" icon (or the video camera icon on iOS) and select ‘Video’. If you see ‘Create a short video’ then you have access to the Shorts camera, which will allow you to use editing tools to do things like string multiple video clips together, use speed controls and timers, and add music to your video clips. If there's no 'Create your first Short' option, then you will have to wait for the update to reach your device.
For users on Android and located in India, the company is rolling out an updated mobile app. The 'Create' icon has now moved to the middle of the bottom navigation bar to make it easier for the users to create Short videos right from the YouTube app.
In its blog post, YouTube stated that the users who don't have access to the Shorts feature yet can still post their existing vertical videos that are less than 60 seconds using the hashtag #Shorts in the title or description. The YouTube Short videos will appear on the home screen of YouTube. The company says it is testing a section on the YouTube homepage to highlight videos from the Shorts camera.
