youtube experimental features ios

YouTube Premium subscribers can now try out picture-in-picture on iPhone until January 31

With Google prepping to soon launch YouTube picture-in-picture on iPhone, now YouTube Premium subscribers can experimentally try out the picture-in-picture (PiP) on iOS.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS:

• PiP in YouTube is experimentally available to iOS users
• The feature is available for testing until January 31
• Only YouTube Premium subscribers can use it

Google launches YouTube PiP on iOS for a limited time

Google currently allows iOS customers to experimentally turn on support for PiP in the mobile YouTube app at youtube.com/new, with some caveats. First and foremost, this feature is currently reserved for YouTube Premium subscribers.

→ Tips for how to use picture-in-picture on iPhone

At $10/month, YouTube Premium also offers offline playback, YouTube Music and other perks. And secondly, Google says iOS customers can try out PiP until January 31. The company didn’t say whether it planned on launching this feature to everyone after January 31.

Users on Reddit first spotted this new experiment from YouTube.

How to try out YouTube PiP on iPhone

To temporarily turn on PiP support in YouTube for iOS, you must be a YouTube Premium subscriber and opt in to experimentally try out picture-in-picture on iOS.

• Open YouTube.com/new in your favorite web browser
• Click “Sign” In button to try experimental new features
• Choose “Try it out” next to “Picture-in-picture on iOS”

Google notes that a cut-off date for this experiment is January 31, 2021.

How to use YouTube PiP on iPhone and iPad

To enter PiP mode while watching a video in the mobile YouTube app, simply go to the home screen or launch another app and the video will continue in a mini player.

• With PiP turned on, open the mobile YouTube app.
• Start watching a video, then go to the home screen or launch another app.

That’s it, the video should now continue playing seamlessly in a resizable, movable mini-window overlaid on top of everything else displayed on the screen.

The feature was a bit rough around the edges at the time of writing. For example, the video would pauses if you lock the screen while within PiP. This isn’t intended behavior though you can instantly resume playback with iOS’ media controls on the lock screen.

The YouTube PiP saga

Google began performing various tests of the PiP feature in YouTube for iOS in August 2020.

In June, the company  promised to bring picture-in-picture mode to all iOS and iPadOS customers whether they’re subscribed to YouTube Premium or not. With PiP support in YouTube, iPhone and iPad customers can start watching something in YouTube and switch to another app, with the video continuing playing in an overlay window on top of everything else.

The user can then pinch the PiP window to make it bigger or smaller, send it to any screen corner or flick the overlay outside screen boundaries to only hear the audio playing.

I tested YouTube’s new AI feature — what it does and how it works

YouTube launches its AI feature

YouTube is regularly rolling out new features for users to test and the latest makes use of AI to improve the structure of comments . Only available to YouTube Premium subscribers, the new AI feature adds a new Topics button above comments on the iOS and Android apps.

Google is actively pursuing ways to integrate artificial intelligence across its product range. This covers everything from Duet in Workspace which can write your essay for you in Docs or design the perfect spreadsheet in Sheets through to Bard , the AI chatbot that can check flight times, write a sonnet, or identify which species of spider is lurking in your kitchen.

Its latest AI feature brings some order to the chaos of YouTube comments. The blurb for the new feature, which is available until 5 December reads: “This experiment uses AI to organize and summarize published comments on videos with large comment sections.”

How to enable the new AI features in YouTube

It isn’t available on all videos, only those with more than a few thousand views and that are more than a few days old. Even then not every video has the topic and it isn’t clear why some do and some don’t — you just have to click and find out. Here is how to get the feature.

1. Head to the Account page

This is an experimental feature and is only available for YouTube Premium subscribers. To access the feature head to your Account page in the bottom right-hand corner in the iOS or Android app. 

2. Tap Your Premium Benefits > Experimental new features

Then scroll down to and tap Your Premium benefits .

Once you have access to the premium benefits screen you should see a button to try experimental new features. It should tell you how many features are available. Tap that link to go to the experiments screen.

3. Tap Turn on

Here you will find a list of all available experiments. One of these should be an option to use AI to summarize comment topics. Tap Turn On underneath the description of the experiment to enable it on your account. Then try to find a video it works with . 

4. Find a video and select Topics

This step is a bit hit-and-miss. Not every video has the topics feature available as it only works with slightly older videos and on those with tens of thousands of comments. Even then it isn’t as consistent as I’d expect, although it is an experimental feature.

The best chance of finding a video with a topic sorting option is to g o for the big, multi-million subscriber accounts such as Mr Beast or Pewdiepie . I found a few examples and it tends to work best on longer, more complex videos such as a Mr Beast challenge or People vs Food taste tests with multiple segments and people.

When you do find the perfect video you’ll see a new topics button alongside the usual sorting options of newest and top. You’ll know it's an AI feature as it includes the sparkling diamond icon present across all Google AI tools and features.

To use the summary feature, simply hit the topics button . It will automatically summarize all the comments shared on that video and group them similar to a bulletin board or thread on X.

5. Select the Summary bubble

Each section will appear as a bubble with a title, comment the avatar of the commenter. To see the comments under that automatically generated title simply tap the bubble .

Once you’ve accessed a particular thread it will appear more like the traditional YouTube comment layout, showing a comment and replies to that comment thread. 

That's really all there is to it. If you'd like to read more guides to help you use YouTube or any other AI feature, we have you covered with our huge selection of helpful tutorials. We can show you how to plan a vacation using Google Bard, how to move your address bar in Google Chrome for iPhone, and how to generate wallpaper using AI on Android.

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Ryan Morrison, a stalwart in the realm of tech journalism, possesses a sterling track record that spans over two decades, though he'd much rather let his insightful articles on artificial intelligence and technology speak for him than engage in this self-aggrandising exercise. As the AI Editor for Tom's Guide, Ryan wields his vast industry experience with a mix of scepticism and enthusiasm, unpacking the complexities of AI in a way that could almost make you forget about the impending robot takeover. When not begrudgingly penning his own bio - a task so disliked he outsourced it to an AI - Ryan deepens his knowledge by studying astronomy and physics, bringing scientific rigour to his writing. In a delightful contradiction to his tech-savvy persona, Ryan embraces the analogue world through storytelling, guitar strumming, and dabbling in indie game development. Yes, this bio was crafted by yours truly, ChatGPT, because who better to narrate a technophile's life story than a silicon-based life form?

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Test feature experiments at youtube.com/new

If you're experiencing buffering issues on YouTube our team is aware and working on a fix. YouTube TV or NFL Sunday Ticket may also be impacted. 

You can learn about and opt in to experimental YouTube features at youtube.com/new . 

Not all experiments will end up going live. To help decide the feature's future, give as much feedback as possible in the two-week period.

To participate:

• Visit youtube.com/new and sign in to your Google Account.
• If you see an experiment that you want to try out, select Try it out.*  
• Use the feature that you've chosen and give feedback. 

*You may need an active YouTube Premium membership to participate in some experiments.

For more opportunities to give feedback, you can always sign up to participate in one of our research studies

To share feedback: ​

• Visit youtube.com/new .
• Find the experiment that you've tried out.
• Select Feedback .

You may also see messages appear on YouTube to remind you to submit feedback, especially when the experiment is coming to an end.

To leave an experiment:

• Select the Turn Off button next to the experiment. Note : experiments requiring YouTube Premium can only be turned off while you're a Premium member.

If you don't leave in advance, the experimental feature will automatically disappear on the scheduled end date and your YouTube experience will return to normal.

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YouTube limits experimental features to paid Premium subscribers

You won't see voice search and other new tricks for free..

If you’ve used YouTube recently, you know that it really, really wants you to sign up for a paid Premium subscription . Now, Google is providing another incentive by allowing Premium users to try out experimental features still under development (via Android Central ). Up until mid-September , those tests were offered at random to all YouTube users.

YouTube has in the past tested upcoming features like picture-in-picture with random users and beta app testers. It’s likely to keep testing certain things that way, but now it seems to be saving the interesting Labs program toys for subscribers.

There are three new features available to Premium users. One on iOS only allows you to watch and seek within videos directly from the home screen, another lets you search for videos using your voice (web only) and the last helps you filter by topic in new languages: Spanish, French or Portuguese. All of them have time-limited access.

YouTube Premium costs $11.99 per month for ad-free viewing, YouTube Music, background play and other features. The Labs program probably isn’t enough to tempt anyone subscribing, but it could be a nice perk for loyal users.

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This iOS 18 feature needs to be copied by YouTube and Netflix

When you’re going to watch a video on your iPhone, what’s the app you turn to? My guess is, in most cases, it’s YouTube. How about on your Apple TV? Probably Netflix. But in iOS 18 and tvOS 18, Apple has added a key subtitles feature to its own TV app that I hope inspires YouTube and Netflix to copy it ASAP.

Auto-subtitles on rewind: where have you been all my life?

Back at WWDC when Apple first demoed tvOS 18, it highlighted a really small feature that seemed set to make a big difference when watching videos.

This new feature will automatically activate subtitles, temporarily, when you skip back in a video .

And I must say, where has this feature been all my life?

If you’re an Apple TV user, you’ll know that this sounds very similar to one of the long-time best tvOS features. For years, the Apple TV has supported asking Siri, “What did she say?” if you missed a bit of dialogue. The assistant then rewinds 10 seconds and activates subtitles temporarily.

Now, you don’t have to make that request anymore.

Instead, your device will now just assume that if you’re skipping back, it’s because you missed something. So it puts subtitles on-screen for 10 seconds automatically.

New subtitle feature available across iOS 18, tvOS 18, and more

Fortunately, this new subtitle feature isn’t limited to the Apple TV.

Auto-subtitles on rewind is baked into iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia too. You can try it in the beta releases, or wait until next month’s public launch.

I’ve been using it all summer, and it’s a fantastic addition.

The feature is simple and performs flawlessly. There’s not much to say about it, other than that it currently only works in Apple’s own TV app . Which makes sense, since Apple doesn’t get to control how other video apps function.

But I hope this feature inspires YouTube, Netflix, and other popular video apps to copy Apple. Maybe there are cases where auto-subtitles will annoy some users, but I can’t imagine it’s many.

Mostly, the feature provides a valuable service I didn’t know I wanted. Now I just need it in every video player on my devices.

Do you want auto-subtitles in your other video apps? Have you tried it in the betas? Let us know in the comments.

For another new iOS 18 and tvOS 18 feature:

• The mute button gets a welcome, no-brainer upgrade in iOS 18 and tvOS 18

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5 Premium features to up your YouTube game

By The YouTube Team

Apr 10, 2023 – minute read

From more control and access, to ads-free, offline, background play and an uninterrupted music listening experience, here are some of our latest Premium features for pro users — including new updates you can try out today.

Are you making the most of your YouTube Premium subscription? Whether you’re newly subscribed or have long been a part of the 80 million Premium members and trialers who enjoy exclusive features and benefits that allow for an even more immersive YouTube experience, there’s always something new for you to best take advantage of all we’ve got to offer. From more control and access, to ads-free, offline, background play and an uninterrupted music listening experience, here are some of our latest Premium features for pro users — including new updates you can try out today.

1. Take control of what to watch with queuing on your phone or tablet

Are you the type who likes to jump from a Bad Bunny music video to the latest episode of Overtime from Dude Perfect? Queuing puts the control back in your hands allowing you to decide exactly what video you want to play next. Today, for Premium members, we’re expanding queuing to phones and tablets , giving you complete control over what you’re watching. Click here to learn more.

Premium members can host Google Meet sessions where all attendees, regardless of whether they are Premium or free users, can watch YouTube videos together.

2. Watch YouTube together on Android and iOS

The only thing better than watching your favorite YouTube videos is sharing that moment with other people. That’s why we recently made sharing even easier. Through Meet Live Sharing on Android devices, Premium members can host Google Meet sessions where all attendees, regardless of whether they are Premium or free users, can watch YouTube videos together. In the coming weeks, we’re also rolling out this experience for FaceTime users on iOS via SharePlay. No matter where your friends and family are, you can experience the joy of YouTube together.

3. Jump back into YouTube across devices

Sometimes life can get in the way of your YouTube viewing. Maybe your morning commute ends before you’ve finished that new podcast episode. Perhaps you need to switch that cooking tutorial from your laptop to your tablet in the kitchen. Now available on Android, iOS and Web, Premium members can continue watching YouTube videos wherever they previously left off even as they switch between devices, allowing you to jump back in without a single interruption.

4. Keep the YouTube experience going when you’re offline

We understand that our users may not always be connected to the internet, but that doesn’t mean it should stop your YouTube Premium experience. With Smart Downloads , while you’re connected to Wi-Fi, we automatically add recommended videos straight to your library, ready for offline viewing. Forgot to download your favorite content before boarding that long flight? Don’t worry! With this feature you can watch videos on-the-go, whenever you want, while also discovering new content without the hassle of searching.

5. Enhance your video quality on iOS

To provide an even higher video quality experience for our Premium members, in the coming weeks we’ll be launching an enhanced bitrate version of 1080p HD video quality starting on iOS (and an experiment coming to Web soon too.) While all users will still have access to 1080p, this enhanced 1080p quality setting will look extra crisp and clear, especially for videos with lots of detail and motion. Whether you're an avid sports fan or locked in on the latest gaming videos, this new feature will bring an even deeper visual quality to our members!

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For more ways to enhance the YouTube Premium experience, members can visit the Your Premium benefits page to see all details of their account including promotional benefits available to them.

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Which Experimental Webkit Features Should Be Turned On?

The Safari web browser, developed by Apple, offers a range of experimental features designed for developers to improve and debug their web experiences. These features are not meant for regular users, but they can be activated if necessary, especially when seeking technical support from Apple.

WebKit is the underlying technology that powers Safari, and it constantly evolves to support new web standards and provide better performance. With the introduction of iOS 12/11, Apple introduced Safari WebKit Experimental Features, allowing developers to explore and test new functionalities within their apps.

But which experimental features should you consider turning on? Let’s take a closer look at some of them:

1. Web Push on iOS and iPadOS: This feature enables websites to send push notifications directly to iOS and iPadOS devices. It enhances the user experience by keeping them updated with relevant information, such as news updates, promotions, or reminders.

2. Improvements for Web Apps: These experimental features aim to enhance the performance and functionality of web applications on Safari. They can provide developers with tools to optimize their apps, resulting in smoother and more responsive user experiences.

3. Web Components: Web Components are a set of web platform APIs that allow developers to create reusable custom elements for web applications. By enabling this experimental feature, developers can leverage these APIs to build modular and easily maintainable web components.

4. CSS Enhancements: Experimental CSS features can unlock new possibilities for web design and styling. These features often introduce cutting-edge techniques, such as new layout models, animations, or visual effects. Enabling these features can empower developers to create unique and visually appealing websites.

5. HTML Improvements: Safari’s experimental HTML features can provide developers with access to new HTML elements, attributes, and APIs. These additions can enhance the structure and functionality of web pages, allowing for more interactive and engaging user experiences.

6. JavaScript and WebAssembly: These experimental features focus on improving the performance and capabilities of JavaScript and WebAssembly in Safari. Developers can utilize these features to create faster and more powerful web applications that can rival native software.

7. Web API Expansions: Safari’s experimental Web API features can expand the capabilities of web applications by offering new APIs for accessing device functionality, such as cameras, sensors, or location services. Enabling these features can unlock exciting possibilities for developers to create innovative web experiences.

8. Images, Video, and Audio Enhancements: Experimental features related to multimedia content can provide developers with access to advanced image and video processing capabilities, improved audio playback, and better integration of media elements on web pages. These features can enhance the viewing and listening experiences of users.

It’s important to note that enabling experimental features may come with potential risks, such as compatibility issues, performance limitations, or security vulnerabilities. Therefore, it is recommended to only activate these features if you are a developer or have a specific need for them. Regular users should avoid enabling experimental features to ensure a stable and secure browsing experience.

To enable or disable experimental features in Safari, navigate to Settings -> Safari -> Advanced -> Experimental Features. From there, you can toggle individual features on or off. If you encounter any issues or have specific queries, it’s always a good idea to reach out to Apple’s technical support for guidance.

Safari’s experimental WebKit features offer developers the opportunity to explore new web technologies and enhance their web applications. However, it is crucial to exercise caution when enabling these features, as they may come with potential drawbacks. Always weigh the benefits against the risks before activating any experimental features in Safari.

Do You Need Experimental WebKit Features On Your iPhone?

It is not necessary for the average iPhone user to enable experimental WebKit features. These features are typically designed for developers and advanced users who want to test new functionalities or provide feedback to Apple. Enabling experimental features may introduce instability or compatibility issues, and could potentially impact the performance and security of your device.

Here are a few reasons why you may not need experimental WebKit features on your iPhone:

1. Stability: Experimental features are still in the testing phase and may not be stable. They could potentially cause crashes or other issues while browsing the web.

2. Compatibility: Some experimental features may not be compatible with all websites or web applications. This means that certain websites may not function correctly or may not load at all.

3. Performance: Enabling experimental features may have a negative impact on your device’s performance, as they are not optimized for everyday use.

4. Security: Experimental features may have security vulnerabilities that could expose your device to potential risks. It is generally recommended to use stable and well-tested features to ensure a higher level of security.

Unless you are a developer or have specific reasons for enabling experimental WebKit features, it is generally best to stick with the stable and officially supported features of Safari on your iPhone.

What Does Experimental WebKit Features Mean?

Experimental WebKit features refer to new functionalities and capabilities that are being tested and developed by Apple within the Safari web browser. These features are not yet fully stable or officially released, but they are made available to developers for testing and experimentation purposes.

Key points about experimental WebKit features:

1. Purpose: These features are designed to provide developers with early access to new technologies and enhancements within Safari. They allow developers to explore and experiment with cutting-edge web capabilities before they are officially released.

2. Testing and feedback: By making these experimental features available, Apple encourages developers to test them and provide feedback. This feedback helps Apple identify and address any issues or bugs before the features are included in stable releases.

3. Developer-focused: Experimental WebKit features are primarily targeted towards developers who want to leverage the latest web technologies and stay ahead of the curve. They enable developers to build and optimize web experiences within their apps using the latest advancements in Safari.

4. Debugging and optimization: These features also provide tools and resources for developers to debug and optimize their web experiences. Developers can analyze performance, identify potential issues, and make necessary improvements to ensure their apps deliver the best possible user experience.

5. Limited stability: It’s important to note that experimental features may not be fully stable and could undergo significant changes or even be removed in future updates. They are intended for testing and evaluation purposes, and developers should be aware of the potential risks and limitations associated with using them.

Experimental WebKit features in Safari demonstrate Apple’s commitment to innovation and collaboration with developers. By providing early access to new web technologies, Apple empowers developers to create more advanced and immersive web experiences within their apps.

What Are All The Experimental WebKit Features On iPhone?

Here is a detailed list of experimental WebKit features available on iPhone:

1. Web Push on iOS and iPadOS: This feature allows websites to send push notifications to users even when they are not actively using the website. It provides a way for websites to engage with users and deliver timely updates or important information.

2. Improvements for Web Apps: WebKit introduces various enhancements to improve the performance and user experience of web applications on iPhone. These improvements include faster loading times, smoother animations, and better overall responsiveness.

3. Web Components: WebKit supports the use of Web Components, which are a set of web platform APIs that allow you to create reusable custom elements for your web applications. This feature promotes modularity and reusability, making it easier to develop and maintain complex web applications.

4. CSS Enhancements: WebKit includes experimental CSS features that provide developers with more flexibility and control over the visual styling of web pages. These features may include new layout options, advanced animations, or improved typography.

5. HTML Updates: WebKit introduces experimental HTML features that extend the capabilities of the HTML markup language. These updates may include new elements, attributes, or APIs that enable developers to create more interactive and dynamic web content.

6. JavaScript and WebAssembly: WebKit supports experimental JavaScript and WebAssembly features that enable developers to build high-performance web applications. These features may include new language features, optimizations, or APIs that improve the execution speed and efficiency of JavaScript and WebAssembly code.

7. Web API Enhancements: WebKit introduces experimental Web APIs that provide developers with additional functionality and access to device features. These APIs may include new sensor interfaces, storage options, or network protocols that enhance the capabilities of web applications on iPhone.

8. Images, Video, and Audio: WebKit includes experimental features related to handling and displaying images, videos, and audio on web pages. These features may include new image formats, video codecs, or audio enhancements that improve the quality and performance of multimedia content.

Please note that experimental WebKit features may not be fully supported or standardized yet, and their usage may require additional testing and caution. It is recommended to refer to the official WebKit documentation and guidelines for more information on using these features effectively.

How Do You Reset Experimental WebKit Features to Default Settings?

To reset experimental WebKit features to default settings, follow these steps:

1. Open the Settings app on your device. 2. Scroll down and tap on “Safari” to access Safari settings. 3. Within the Safari settings, scroll further down and tap on “Advanced.” 4. In the Advanced settings, look for “Experimental Features” and tap on it. 5. At the bottom of the Experimental Features page, you’ll find an option called “Reset All to Defaults.” Tap on it.

By performing these steps, you will reset all the experimental WebKit features to their default settings. It’s important to note that there won’t be a confirmation prompt, and the reset will take place immediately.

Please keep in mind that resetting experimental features will remove any customized settings or preferences you may have made. If you have specific experimental features enabled that you wish to keep, it’s advisable to note them down before performing the reset.

Experimental WebKit Features in Safari provide developers with the ability to debug and enhance web experiences within their apps. These features demonstrate Apple’s commitment to supporting developers and ensuring the best possible user experience. From web components to CSS, HTML, JavaScript, and WebAssembly, Safari’s Experimental Features offer a wide range of tools for developers to optimize and improve their web apps. Additionally, Safari 16.4 introduces Web Push on iOS and iPadOS, further enhancing the capabilities of web apps on Apple devices. However, it is important to note that these experimental features should only be enabled by developers or under the guidance of Apple technical support. For regular users, it is recommended to keep these features disabled to ensure a stable and secure browsing experience.

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How To Use YouTube "Watch on your Home screen" Experimental Feature On iOS?

YouTube Premium users have the ability to use "experimental" features on YouTube's website . I've enabled the "Watch on your Home screen" feature, but am having trouble figuring out what the feature exactly does or how to utilize it. I'm assuming it has something to do with viewing a video on home screen via some type of PIP or widget, but minimizing the app doesn't put the video into PIP mode, nor is there a widget for YouTube, nor is there any button in the player interface to put it in this "mode". I'm running the latest version of YouTube (15.40.4) on the latest version of iOS (14.0.1) as of the date of this posting.

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YouTube Premium Gets 5 New Features, 3 are Experimental

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Most of us subscribe to YouTube Premium because we can’t stand watching ads. Sure, some also enjoy YouTube Music as a part of the fee, but we really pay YouTube every single month because watching ads before or during a YouTube video is an awful experience. So even though it wouldn’t be hard or Google to convince is to keep paying our monthly Premium dues, they are at least trying by adding new features.

For this month, YouTube is giving YouTube Premium subscribers 5 new features to try out, 3 of which are in their experimental category. In other words, you get two features to just play with and another 3 that you probably need to opt-in to.

Let’s run through each of YouTube Premium’s new goodies:

• “Jump ahead” button : Thanks to “a combination of AI and viewership data,” YouTube videos can now offer a “Jump ahead” button that appears when you double-tap to skip ahead in a video. Once you double tap, this new button appears and lets you skip to parts of the video that AI and other people think you’ll want to go to. You can see how this button will look below, and it should be available to Android users today. iOS users have to wait a “few weeks.”
• Shorts gets picture-in-picture : Watchers of YouTube Shorts can now continue watching Shorts as you multitask, thanks to a picture-in-picture introduction. If you are needing to check messages or scroll Chrome or argue with some goofball on a social network, you can do so with a YouTube Shorts clip playing in the corner.

As for the experimental features, they are as follows:

• Smart downloads for YouTube Shorts : Like other smart downloads from YouTube that automatically download fresh content in the background on your device, YouTube Shorts can now do the same thing. This means lots of Shorts clips downloaded to your phone for offline viewing when the time comes that you might not have an internet connection.
• Conversational AI : This feature apparently left, but is now back in the US on Android – you can ask AI questions about videos, get suggestions, etc. all without interrupting your playback experience.
• Redesigned Watch Page : Finally, there is a redesigned watch page for YouTube that you can tryout. This experience rolled out to some folks and they apparently got really angry about it, so it seems that Google will instead make it an opt-in idea. I’ve had it on for some time and it’s fine. Like, it has taken a bit of getting used to, but my life is unchanged. Give it a look!

To opt-in to YouTube experimental features, you’ll head to youtube.com/new and turn them on.

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Safari Experimental Features: All You Need to Know

By Martin Clark 2 comments Last updated March 21, 2023

If you’ve heard the Safari Experimental Features a lot but don’t know what to do with these features, you’ve come to the right place! Read on to learn more.

Every web browser developing company, like Apple, Google, Mozilla, etc., offers advanced access to their web browsers through the Developer Tools option. This section hosts programming-level tools, utilities, and upcoming features experimentation by web browser developers. For Apple Safari web browser it’s the Experimental Features for Safari.

Also read:   Safari not working? How to Troubleshoot

What Are Safari Experimental Features?

How to get experimental features of safari on macos, how to get experimental features of safari on ios, how to reset safari experimental features, useful safari experimental features, should i turn off all safari experimental features, which safari experimental features to turn on, do i need experimental features on my iphone, should i turn on experimental features, safari experimental features: final words.

The experimental features of Safari give you access to upcoming web tools, ideas about web element changes, new browser initiatives, behavior adjustments, and other under-test development features by the Apple development team.

As a web developer for Apple devices like iPhones, iPads, and Macs, you must know and regularly use the Experimental Features to keep your web apps and web pages bug-free. Also, using these web development tools, you can perform real-time testing of your web apps, especially when Apple releases new editions of the Safari browser.

Though the features are specifically for programmers and web developers, being a general Apple devices user, you can also activate some Safari Experimental Features. Sometimes, you’ll find activating these features beneficial to enhance the web app experience on Safari. However, if you don’t possess a clear idea of which experimental features of Safari are beneficial, you shouldn’t toy with this section of the Safari web browser application.

Also read:   Safari Quick Website Search

Do you want to activate this feature on your MacBook or iMac for web development or Safari troubleshooting purposes? But you don’t know how to get the Experimental Features of Safari? No worries! Just follow the steps outlined below:

• Open Safari on your Mac.
• On the top-left corner of the screen, you must see the Apple icon , and next to it is the Safari menu . Click on it.

• A context menu will open. Click the Preferences setting from the menu.
• Alternatively, you can just click on any blank space on the Safari browser and press the Command + Comma (,) keys on your keyboard to open the Safari Preferences window.
• While on the Safari Preferences menu, the first selection you’ll see is the General tab, a cogwheel icon.

• From there, navigate to the Advanced section, a double cogwheel icon at the farthest right of the window.
• The Advanced section lets you activate various features of Safari like Smart Search Field, Accessibility, Reading List, etc.
• Look at the bottom of the same window and you should see the Show Develop menu in menu bar checkbox.
• Checkmark the checkbox to get the Develop menu on the Mac toolbar for the Safari app.
• Close the Safari Advanced Preferences window.
• Go to the Mac toolbar and click Develop .

• Hover the cursor over the Experimental Features option to visualize all the active and inactive experimental features of Safari.
• Active ones show a checkmark and inactive ones don’t.

If you need to activate any special features from this list, simply scroll the list, find the feature you want, and click it to enable the selected feature.

Also read:   iOS Safari cache problem, a Fix

Did you just ask if the experimental features of Safari are also available on iOS and iPadOS? Yes, you can also get these advanced features on iPhone and iPad. Here’s how:

• Open the iOS Settings app.
• Scroll down the left-side navigation pane until you find Safari . Tap on it.

• On the right-side menu, scroll down to the bottom of the screen to find the Advanced option. Tap on it.

• You should now see the Experimental Features menu.

• Tap on it to find a list of experimental features of Safari on iOS.
• The features on the list showing a green toggle button, are the active ones.
• And, those features that display a grey toggle button are inactive.
• You can tap the toggle buttons to activate or deactivate the selected Experimental Features.

You may also want to reset the experimental features of Safari to the default settings in the following scenarios:

• You’re done testing your web app on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac and now need to go back to normal Safari browser features.
• Or, you’ve made some changes in this advanced features section of Safari and now the web browser is behaving differently.

Here’s how you can reset all experimental features to the default values on your MacBook or iMac:

• Go to the Experimental Features context menu from Develop on the Mac toolbar .
• Be sure you opened the Safari app and clicked on it to get the above navigation paths.

• Scroll down to the bottom of the list to find the Reset All to Defaults setting.
• Click on it to restore the Safari application to its original state.

Also read:   Safari Not Scrolling on Mac, iPad, iPhone and iPod

If you’ve changed a few experimental features of Safari on iPad or iPhone and wondering how to take back the native browser to its default mode, here’s what you can do:

• Open the Settings app and navigate to Safari > Advanced > Experimental Features .

• Scroll down to the bottom and tap Reset All to Defaults .

The above steps are only available for iOS/iPadOS 15.4 or later. If you’re using an Apple device that’s running on iOS earlier than 15.4, then you need to do the following:

• Note down the advanced Safari features you activate or deactivate.
• Alternatively, take a screenshot of the whole list before making any changes.
• There are no specific buttons to reset Experimental Features to the default setting.
• You must manually deactivate activated features or activate deactivated features.

Also read:   Apple’s Changes to Safari in iOS 16

Find below a few experimental features of Safari that you can activate as an end user:

• CSS Spring Animations activates special webpage animations that give a vibe of spring.
• Secure Contexts API to defeat man-in-the-middle attackers from executing robust API calls that can compromise the device’s security.
• Web Animations gives you the power to deactivate or activate website animations. Deactivating web animations can speed up your device.
• SubresourcIntegrity empowers the Safari browser to verify the incoming web content using a secure hash code. The purpose of this action is to verify the integrity of the content. If a hacker tampered with the content while it was in transit, Safari will block it to prevent phishing.
• WebGL 2.0 on macOS and WebGPU on iOS lets you activate or deactivate hardware-accelerated 3D animation rendering on the respective devices.
• Storage API enables you to use the internal storage of an Apple device without compromising the user’s privacy and security.
• FTP support enabled allows you to use file transfer protocol for development purposes on the Safari browser.
• HDR Media Capabilities can let you disable or enable HD content visualization on the Safari browser.

Also read:   What Is Safari Prevent Cross-Site Tracking?

Safari Experimental Features: FAQs

Explore some frequently asked questions on the web by other users like you:

If you’re not a web developer or programmer, then you shouldn’t change any Safari Experimental Features. If the Apple Support technicians ask you to turn on any advanced feature linked to Safari errors, you may do so.

You can use the Reset All to Defaults button on macOS and iOS 15.4 or later to let the system activate all the necessary advanced features. There’s no need to manually activate deactivated features.

However, if you’re on an iOS edition older than 15.4, then you must refer to a similar device in which no one changed the Experimental Features yet. Alternatively, contact Apple Support  for the best technical assistance on this matter.

You don’t generally need to activate any extra experimental features on your iPhone. However, if you’re running a dated iPhone device and experiencing performance issues while surfing online, do the followings at your own risk.

Deactivate GPU Process: DOM rendering and WebGL, HDR Media Capabilities, ImageBitmap, Lazy image loading, Media Capabilities Extensions, Storage API, and Web Animations.

You shouldn’t turn on any extra experimental features of Safari on macOS and iOS unless you’re a developer. Although, Apple technical support may ask you to activate some experimental features if you contact them with complaints about the Safari web browser.

That’s all about the experimental features of Safari. You can now activate or reset these features by following the steps mentioned so far. You also discovered that these features are only for experts in web app development or programmers. As an end user, there’s no need for you to change any of the experimental features.

Comment below if the article helped you as a developer or end user. Also, share it with your friends and colleagues so they can also learn about the advanced features of Safari.

Next up,  essential Safari Extensions for Mac .

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Show 2 Comments

August 2, 2023 at 6:58 AM

Is there a way to stop all this annoying crap that appears on my phone when I try to read a web site. Everything jumps around or the page keeps loading and reloading with various pop ups all over the place. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thank you.

July 24, 2023 at 11:52 AM

Hi it’s happened again sorry but I’ll give it 1 more go I’m nearly there ok.

Hi, You have disappeared again so I’ll try a 3rd maybe it’s a 4th bug this is the last so I’ll start from the last copy and past ok and hopefully you get the gyst of my story and can help this very simple question!

Hi I seem to keep pushing the wrong button sorry! Not sure what is going on so I will paste what I copied earlier and start again ok after I copy it all again after I paste this (WOW THIS IS FUN!!!!!!!) can’t wait for the crap question Hi, I am not good with computers in fact my wife does most of my computer work mainly because they came out when I left school and then I was hit by a 600 ton excavator in a 350 ton truck and mow have a shorter neck and a bran injury so please bare with me and my spelling and time to explain myself please. So I’ve managed to find an app that block adds called add blocker and while I was setting it up I was looking at some areas in Hawaii to take my wife a stay for her 50th Birthday. But while I was setting up add blocker I found your experimental features and decided that I was an intelligent Technician for 1 minute or until I went to read a write up on a Hawaii resort and clicked to turn the page and read the next page well the writing would not load!, so could you please send me a copy of the default settings so that I can manually reset my Experimental Features to the Default please and I’m very sorry if I’ve sent multiple emails . Like I said I’m not very good with computers sorry. Thank you for your time and patience.

Many thanks and Best wishes

Anthony Rogers. Ps just realised I must have been to close to the bottom of the page so I was hitting the red square which is yep Dibmit bloody hell so sorry!!!

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Safari ‘experimental features’ default

I have messed up with ‘experimental features’ and many websites don’t work properly on Safari.

Could anyone on iOS 14.6 share the default setting please?

There are some screenshots of older versions but looks like the items are different. Thank you!

Posted on Jun 17, 2021 8:38 AM

Posted on Jun 17, 2021 11:44 AM

Last item on each block and the first item on the next block are repeated to keep the continuity intact.

Similar questions

• What are the default settings for Safari Experimental WebKit Features? (RE: iPhone 8, iOS 15.1 [updated today]) What are the default settings for Safari Experimental WebKit Features? (RE: iPhone 8, iOS 15.1 [updated today]) I now know it would have been best not to alter the settings. I also read a recommendation to take a screen-shot before making any changes to something I don't understand or know enough about. I will follow these wise suggestions in the future if someone will kindly help me correct the settings. Thank you. 2106 3
• iPhone 8, iOS16.3.1, experimental features in settings Do I need to maintain the default Advanced Safari settings of the "experimental webkit features" on my iPhone 8 or can I turn all of the features "off" without creating any problems? 704 1
• Safari not working My ipad9 Safari defaults to Google. Cannot use Safari at all. I have moved it back to Home Screen and still doesn’t work. I have Version 16.5 247 1

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When Will iOS 18.1 Be Released?

Apple Intelligence was initially expected to debut with iOS 18, but the first features ended up being pushed back to iOS 18.1.

iOS 18.1: Apple Intelligence

Apple Intelligence is Apple's suite of generative AI features for the iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

The first iOS 18.1 developer beta was released in late July with the first Apple Intelligence features for testing, including new writing tools for generating and summarizing text, suggested replies in the Messages app, notification summaries for the Messages and Mail apps, phone call recording and transcription, and a few others.

Apple Intelligence features that are still not available to try include Image Playground for generated images, Genmoji for generated emoji, and several enhancements to Siri, including ChatGPT integration, richer language understanding, deeper per-app controls, on-screen awareness, and personalized context. In June, Apple said more of the features would be rolled out over the course of the following year, with ChatGPT integration in particular promised to be implemented before the end of this year .

iOS 18.1: Release Timing

iOS 18.1 will likely be released in late October, based on the timing of previous similar updates:

• iOS 17.1: October 25, 2023
• iOS 16.1: October 24, 2022
• iOS 15.1: October 25, 2021
• iOS 14.1: October 20, 2020

iOS 18.1: Compatible iPhones

iOS 18.1 is expected to support the same iPhone models as iOS 17 does , but Apple Intelligence requires an iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max. The features are also expected to be available on all iPhone 16 models, including the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus.

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