cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/18477295

YouTube is now testing out a welcome feature, a sleep timer, but it only works on mobile and desktop, and only for Premium subscribers.

  • @MimicJar
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    291 month ago

    So wait they implement autoplay, autoplay then ruins recommendations, and the fix is a sleep timer?

    I’ve never needed this feature, but surely the sleep timer should be an OS feature? I assume Android and iOS have apps for this.

    But also it it screws with recommendations, maybe improve that UI first?

    This feels like a “faster horses” situation where they have no idea what to do next.

    • Chozo
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      31 month ago

      So wait they implement autoplay, autoplay then ruins recommendations, and the fix is a sleep timer?

      Who said this was meant to fix recommendations?

      • @MimicJar
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        11 month ago

        The linked article.

    • @Ugurcan
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      1 month ago

      You don’t need an external app on iOS, it’s built into the Countdown.

      (Just go down to ‘When countdown ends’ list and pick ‘Stop playing’. It will stop whatever playing, YT, Spotify, Netflix etc.)

  • @[email protected]
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    181 month ago

    Fuck you Google. I buy your premium pro phones and watches (that you barely improve) and you want me to pay for basic features like PiP or the sleep timer?

    Don’t be surprised that I use smartube, pipepipe, newpipe and others instead.

    • @[email protected]
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      31 month ago

      Since you mentioned watch, I was surprised that rumours said that Pixel Watch 3 will come with 24 Hr battery life, same as PW 2. That is even below Samsung, much less Oneplus or Ticwatch. Plus, they lock much data behind Fitbit’s paywall after granting a six month free subscription, I believe.

      • @[email protected]
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        21 month ago

        Wtf are they doing.

        The Fitbit paywall is bullshit too. I don’t miss it at all with my pw1.

        I have the first Google home with the screen. The second generation with sleep tracking looked nice but you need a monthly subscription… For using the damn sensor that you bought.

        For the watches, it’s a shame that Google doesn’t seem to do anything to improve the amount of apps. There’s almost no apps for wearos. Maybe they could bribe some popular apps for a wearos version. Maybe try to create a momentum.

        I like having a smart watch but it’s basically just for notifications, “fitness”, the weather and seeing my next calendar event.

    • @EnderMB
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      21 month ago

      SleepTimer is as perfect an app as can be. It does one thing, and does it really well.

  • @hark
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    91 month ago

    Wouldn’t they want to roll this out to all users as soon as possible to save on bandwidth? They have an “are you still watching?” prompt to save on bandwidth as well, right?

    • Maven (famous)
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      91 month ago

      But they get ad revenue from ads playing even if you aren’t actively watching. Premium subs don’t have any ads so they can save bandwidth AND not have to worry about losing ad money.

  • Lucy :3
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    41 month ago

    That already works in LibreTube, since at least a year, for free of course.

  • @paddirn
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    41 month ago

    Wow, an incredibly basic feature only available to Premium subscribers? How far the mighty have fallen.

  • @CoffeeJunkie
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    31 month ago

    Ooo, I wonder if Grayjay could steal this? 🤔

  • @[email protected]
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    31 month ago

    I remember having a sleep timer app, on my phone, about a decade ago. It was free and turned off any media playing after a set time, regardless of where the source was coming from. Worked great… not sure why it’s a premium feature, I wouldn’t be surprised if that app still exists.

  • @doodledup
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    21 month ago

    Why is this even news? The intern can implement that feature in like 5 minutes.

    • @[email protected]
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      1 month ago

      It’s not technical news, It’s newsworthy because of the context.

      Kind of like when people in the Soviet Union were allowed to grow vegetables in their own tiny plot of land for personal consumption: it was important because the Soviet Union denied people private ownership, but simply because everybody in the USSR was on the verge of dying of starvation any minute, the Soviets carved out a teeny tiny exception to the rule.

      Everybody in the free world was completely nonplussed by the ability to grow your own veggies. But it made the news because it was the Soviet Union.

      In this case, the stifling Google mothership implemented a teeny tiny something trivial on their platform, and it’s newsworthy because Google is the Soviet Union of the internet in more ways than one.

      Of course, people with any sense of freedom and sanity consume Youtube videos with FreeTube, Grayjay, NewPipe, LibreTube, Piped, Invidious or whatever else and look at this thinking “So…?” But it’s newsworthy because it comes out of Google.

  • @Etterra
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    21 month ago

    Would anyone actually use that?

    • @Passerby6497
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      71 month ago

      My wife will. She regularly falls asleep to streams on YouTube and has to rewind to the part she fell asleep to.

    • @axh
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      201 month ago

      You my friend are living in a bubble. Most users are using default apps. For your own safety do not go out of the bubble, it’s wild out there.

    • Chozo
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      171 month ago

      99.99% of users are on the official client, as is the case for nearly every major web platform.

    • @[email protected]
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      31 month ago

      I switched off from the official app back to Tubular, a NewPipe fork. I was always a NewPipe user but gave YouTube app the chance because I have a YouTube subscription( though, I mostly used it for YouTube Music). But even with a subscription, third party apps are much superior.

      Their is no Sponserblock integration in official app. Plus Shorts and Games thrust on you. Oh, and did I mention whenever I go to certain channels, YouTube asks me if I wish to become a member of that channel for extra perks. Like, I just paid you money, Google, stop asking more.

    • @[email protected]
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      11 month ago

      I use browser for no ads. Applies to many others too. I avoid downloading apps as far as possible.

  • TheJack
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    11 month ago

    Though I use Tubular (NewPipe fork) and don’t need a timer but, always sleeps faster listening weather report of a remote country.