5 Cool New Features Added to YouTube in 2026

YouTube is an ever-evolving platform, and while it’s changed a lot over the years, 2026 has brought some particularly exciting additions to the mainstream. Some of these changes are aimed more at creators, but others were designed to improve the user experience on YouTube. From features that make it easier to find new videos to watch to the ability to lock your account on Smart TV, these five new YouTube features make using the platform simpler.

It’s worth noting before we begin that some of the features we’re highlighting today are available to all YouTube users, while a few others require a YouTube Premium subscription. There’s also another factor to consider, which is that Google continues to roll out some of these features. This means that they may arrive to users at different times. Some of these may not be available to you yet, but if you keep an eye on your YouTube app, these updates should be coming to your account in the near future.

It often seems like AI is infesting everything we do these days, and YouTube is no different. While most Google products have seen their fair share of new AI features across the board – some you may or may not want – YouTube received one that should actually be useful to most users. This feature is called Ask YouTube.

Unlike traditional YouTube search, which required you to enter keywords or even exact video titles to find the video you were looking for, Ask YouTube uses natural conversational language and builds a response based on that using the power of AI. In addition to being able to find videos on YouTube itself, Google also says the feature can pull real-time information from the web in order to find exactly what you’re looking for. Ask YouTube originally started as a YouTube Premium-only feature, but has since expanded to more users. Unfortunately, the feature is still rolling out and currently only supports English search.

Another new feature that arrived this year – or maybe we should just say it made a comeback – is direct messaging. YouTube once allowed users to message each other directly; however, this feature was removed a few years ago. Today, however, YouTube has brought direct messaging back from the dead, along with some significant restrictions. Being able to send messages directly within YouTube itself makes it easy to send video links to other users you talk to all the time without requiring you to leave the YouTube app.

You must be at least 18 years old to use direct messages on YouTube. You will also need to be signed in to a YouTube account in a supported region. If you already have this feature, you can find your messages in the YouTube app by tapping the message box icon at the top. Once you have this feature, you will be able to message other people, delete conversations, and even block users, in case someone tries to spam you on YouTube.

If you tend to watch longer content or listen to podcasts, this next feature might be a hit for you. Auto-speed allows YouTube to automatically detect when slower sections of a video are playing so it can speed them up, then slow down when important information returns. You can also choose a minimum speed you want to use – from 1x to 4x. This is a nice feature for users who often find themselves skipping ahead or even listening to videos at faster playback speeds simply because they don’t need to listen to them in real time.

The downside is that the feature is currently only available to YouTube Premium users. It’s also not one of the many features included in YouTube Premium Lite, making it one of the downsides of using Premium Lite over regular YouTube Premium. Additionally, the feature is currently only available in the Android app, so web browser or iPhone users won’t be able to take advantage of it just yet. Unfortunately, Google hasn’t shared a release date for its arrival on other platforms, so we’ll just have to wait for more information to see when it rolls out.

At least 36% of YouTube users now watch YouTube on their smart TVs. Earlier this year, YouTube even added longer ads to the YouTube app on smart TVs. The downside, of course, is that if you share a house with someone and your YouTube account is connected to the smart TV, then almost anyone with access to your smart TV can access and use your YouTube account, unsubscribe from channels, or see what you’ve been watching.

YouTube, however, has found a way around this by adding an account lock to YouTube for TVs. Once enabled, the feature adds a four-digit code to your device, which will then be needed to access all YouTube data on that smart TV for that account. You also don’t need YouTube Premium to take advantage of this feature. It’s still rolling out globally to most supported smart TVs, so exactly when you see it on your device may vary.

The last feature we want to highlight is one that podcast viewers will likely find exceptionally useful. Although YouTube is primarily a video platform, there are a ton of different types of content on the website, including music videos, podcasts, and just audio that you don’t necessarily need to pay attention to the video to enjoy. For videos like this, YouTube added a new feature called On-the-go mode. This essentially lets you turn any video into audio-focused content, putting audio controls front and center, like the skip forward and back buttons.

These new commands will remain available whether your phone is locked or unlocked. YouTube claims it can even detect when you’re walking or running to automatically suggest switching to that mode. Just like Auto Speed ​​and some of YouTube’s other fine-tuned user controls, On the Go mode is only available to YouTube Premium subscribers. It’s also currently limited to the Android app and completely replaces the Premium controls. Google has not yet introduced it to iOS, but said the feature would be available to iPhone users in the coming months.