It’s the go-to platform for watching videos, but if you use YouTube, prepare to see a popular feature disappear next month.
The Google-owned platform has confirmed that it’s shutting down YouTube Stories in June.
Stories first launched in 2018, and allowed creators to post short, mobile-only videos that expired after seven days.
YouTube claims the change is being made to prioritise other features on the platform.
In a blog, it explained: ‘Today, there are many ways to create on YouTube – from Community posts to Shorts, to long-form and Live. To prioritize these key features, Stories are going away.’
It’s the go-to platform for watching videos, and if you use YouTube, prepare to see a popular feature disappear next month
The change will come into effect on 23 June, after which the option to create a new YouTube Story will no longer be available.
Any Stories that are already live will expire seven days after they were originally shared.
If you regularly used YouTube Stories, YouTube advises you turn to either Community posts or YouTube Shorts.
‘YouTube Community posts are a great choice if you want to share lightweight updates, start conversations, or promote your YouTube content to your audience,’ it explained.
‘Amongst creators who use both posts and Stories, posts on average drive many times more comments and likes compared to Stories.’
While YouTube previously restricted access to Community posts to certain creators, it has recently expanded access to millions.
To create a Community post, sign in to YouTube, and select ‘Create post’ at the top of the page.
In the box at the top, either type a message to create a text post, add text to an image, GIF or video post, or choose to create a video, poll or image.
Once you’re happy with your creation, select Post.
Alternatively, if you want to continue creating short videos, YouTube recommends using YouTube Shorts – a tool that allows you to record vertical videos directly from your smartphone.
‘With new features for both Shorts and Community posts to be announced throughout the year, we are committed to investing in new and innovative tools to help you grow your audiences across YouTube,’ YouTube added.
‘We look forward to seeing what you create with all of these formats – Community posts, Shorts, live streams, and long-form content!’
WHAT CAN YOU WATCH ON YOUTUBE TV FOR $40 A MONTH?
Google raised the price of its YouTube TV streaming service in 2018.
The monthly fee raised to $40 for new customers, though existing customers will continue to pay $35, as before.
It’s also added a number of new channels.
At the base price, customers will have access to:
ABC
CBS
Fox
NBC
AMC
BBC America
BBC World News
Bravo
Big Ten Network
Cartoon Network
CNBC
NBC Sports
CBS Sports Network
CNN
Comet
The CW
Disney Channel
Disney XD
Disney Junior
SEC ESPN Network
E!
ESPN
ESPN 2
ESPN U
ESPN News
Fox Business
Fox News
Fox Sports
Freeform
FS1
FS2
FX
FXM
FXX
NBC Golf
HLN
IFC
MSNBC
National Geographic
Nat Geo Wild
NBC Sports Network
Newsy
Olympic Channel
Pop
Smithsonian Channel
Sundance TV
Syfy
TBS
Telemundo
Tennis Channel
TNT
Turner Classic Movies
truTV
Universal Kids
Universo
USA
We TV
YES
YouTube Red
