YouTube Premium offers many more perks that I didn't know I was paying for
I've been subscribed to YouTube Premium for many years now, and yet I didn't know what I was exactly paying for. In my mind, I always associated Premium with an ad-free experience; being able to get rid of all those pesky long and interrupting ads before or while watching a video is alone worth the price. Adding the family benefits for my husband, and the fact that this works everywhere, including on our TVs, makes it more of a no-brainer.
Even though I don't use them often, I also knew that Premium gave me the option for background play, picture-in-picture, and YouTube Music Premium — all perks that many of our Android Authority readers seem to love.
What I didn't know, though, was that Premium packs some smaller but very useful advantages and features throughout the experience. And those… well, those, I've been relying on for years, and I had no idea they weren't available for free watchers. I had taken them for granted, and it was only when I used YouTube on a secondary free account that I noticed they were missing.
The extremely handy 'Continue watching'
Rita El Khoury / Android Authority
It's been a couple of years since YouTube introduced 'Continue watching,' a feature I never thought I used that often until I didn't have it anymore on my secondary account. What this does is essentially pick up the video I was watching on one device and offer the suggestion to continue it on the second. So if I'm checking out our hands-on with the Nothing Phone 3 on my desktop and I step away for a bit, I can open YouTube on my phone to find the video already there on the bottom right, queued up for me.
I didn't know I used 'Continue watching' this much, until I switched to an account that doesn't have it.
This works across phones, web, and TV, and saves me time having to dig into my watch history or search to find that video I was just watching. It also feels freeing in a way, because I know I don't have to stay in front of my TV or computer to finish watching a video; I can pick it up where I left off on my phone.
When I used my free YouTube account, this option wasn't there. I immediately noticed that YouTube wasn't offering my paused video as the first suggestion to watch, and I thought it was a bug or a setting I hadn't enabled, but after looking into it, I realized it was only available for YouTube Premium subscribers. This is what sent me into this rabbit hole, looking for other similarly niche but practical Premium-only features.
Queuing up videos on mobile
Rita El Khoury / Android Authority
I waited years for YouTube to gain queue management support, and when it first came to the web experience, I was thrilled. Then I waited even longer to see it on mobile, and now I can't imagine using YouTube without it. When I'm researching a new trip destination, watching videos about a new phone or service for work, or deep-diving into robot mowers to pick one for my new garden, I tend to do a search on YouTube, scroll through all the results, and queue up the ones I want to watch. Then, I sit back and enjoy as it goes through them one by one. Queues are like my personal curation system, and they've become integral to my YouTube experience.
I assumed, though, that just like queues on a desktop, these were available for everyone. Turns out that Google has kept this option exclusive for Premium subscribers only on mobile phones and tablets. It feels like an aleatory choice, and it sucks that free users don't get it. The best way to circumvent this is to create a temporary playlist and dump videos in it, watch them, then empty it when you're done, i.e., not as practical as a simple queue.
Premium Controls — it's in the name
Rita El Khoury / Android Authority
I don't always use Premium Controls because Google has made them annoying to enable and there's no way to force them to show up by default on all videos. However, they do come in handy when I'm watching a video while cooking or working. They're simple and generally big buttons that distill YouTube's essence to two rows of icons: playback controls and frequent actions.
To me, the most important ones are the speed and quality pickers, because those usually require fiddling with pop-ups and sub-menus, and they become more accessible here. However, I wish Google made these customizable. I'd take a captions button over the stable volume toggle, while others may replace the like button with a sleep timer, for example.
There's still work to be done here, and I feel like Premium Controls have the potential to become something like Google Meet's On-The-Go or Spotify's Car Mode: large and easy-to-hit essential buttons that work well when you're busy doing something else. Until they're perfected, maybe it's a good thing that Premium Controls aren't available for everyone.
Smart downloads are sanity savers
Rita El Khoury / Android Authority
I must've missed the memo when YouTube made downloads a paid feature. I still remember when the option first launched and was available to everyone, free and paid users alike. At the time, I didn't have my YouTube Premium membership yet, and I was living in Lebanon, so I made a lot of use of downloads in spotty reception areas. I recall music video downloads not being possible for free users, but that seemed logical because it could replace Spotify, essentially.
If I'm stuck underground in a faulty subway, YouTube makes sure I have videos to watch offline.
Apparently, YouTube took this perk away from non-paying users a couple of years later and made it a Premium-only benefit. I was living in my posh Premium world by then, so I didn't notice the change. What I think is sad, though, is that this also includes smart downloads, or YouTube's tireless background work to keep a few videos available offline so you can watch anywhere, anytime.
Smart downloads have rescued me from deadly boredom when I'd been lazy and forgot to download things to watch on a trip, and that one time I was stuck in an underground subway for an hour with a very spotty signal. Having those videos ready, even if I hadn't curated them myself, saved my sanity. I wish Google would offer smart downloads for free users, too, because it's a very casual viewing experience that can come in handy, all without giving you control to download and watch exactly what you want.
Co-watching a video on a Google Meet call
Rita El Khoury / Android Authority
I'd been hearing about the watch-together concept on Apple FaceTime, Plex, Jellyfin, and other apps and services, but not on Google Meet. It turns out Google already offers this, and you can start a watch-together session from your Meet call or start a Meet call while watching a YouTube video, easy peasy. I briefly tested it with my husband and we thought it was genius, so we plan on using this whenever one of us is away on a work trip.
It's another odd perk to tie to Premium-only subscriptions, though, especially when Apple is offering it in FaceTime for everyone. I'll file this also under the Google should offer it for free, but also publicize it more, and make it more accessible across messaging platforms like Google Messages and WhatsApp.
This sums up the odd and unexpected Premium-only perks complementing its ad-free and background play experience. Three of these — Continue Watching, queues in the mobile app, and smart downloads — are features I use every day, and personally, I'd pay for those more than background play or picture-in-picture. This deep dive has given me a bigger appreciation for my Premium membership; now, I know I'm getting more for my money than just ad removal.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Bitcoin investor moves $8 billion worth of crypto after 14 years, originally bought for less than $210,000 — 80,000 BTC transferred from dormant Satoshi-era wallet
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. An ancient beast has suddenly risen from its slumber after lying dormant for 14 years. In the realm of crypto, such a beast is known as a whale—an early adopter of the blockchain holding massive amounts of currency. Whales are often closely monitored by the community due to their foresight; therefore, even the slightest activity can be read as a signal based on which the markets can shift. One of these whales, currently speculated to be Roger Ver, has moved 80,000 Bitcoin over the past 24 hours. That's more than $8.6 billion in regular people's money, made from an initial investment of less than $210,000 back in 2011. Doing the math, this mystery whale has achieved a hypothetical return of nearly 4 million percent over its initial purchase, or approximately 40,000 times the original amount. All of these Bitcoins are from the highly revered Satoshi era, the infancy period between 2009 and 2011, when the cryptocurrency was first introduced. Wallets from this time are from true believers of Bitcoin, people who invested in the radical idea of a decentralized financial system when a single coin wasn't even worth $1. So, you can imagine the delight on crypto bros' faces when someone decided to move a record-breaking amount of Bitcoin yesterday. The previous record for the largest single transaction in Bitcoin history was a mere 3,700 BTC, and a whopping 10,000 BTC has now surpassed it, moving at once. There was a total of eight wallets involved in this transaction, each containing the aforementioned 10K Bitcoin, and they're all owned by the same person, according to leading crypto analyst Arkham. The tide started around early Friday, when two wallets that had been inactive for 14 years suddenly transferred 10,000 BTC each to new addresses. These original wallets date back to April 3, 2011, when they initially received a large amount of Bitcoin. At the time, one Bitcoin was worth just 78 cents, so 10,000 BTC would be valued at $7,800. That chalks up to a nearly 14 million percent increase. Eight hours later, six more wallets from the same era—each containing 10,000 BTC—moved their holdings without any prior test transactions. These are from May 4, 2011, when Bitcoin had risen to $3.25. In total, these eight wallets make up 80,000 Bitcoin, the entire stash believed to have been held by the mysterious whale. Bitcoin is currently trading at $108,000, slightly down from its historic high of $110,000, which it had reached shortly before the transfers occurred. Interestingly, during our research, we came across a 2023 Reddit post that discussed six Bitcoin wallets, each holding 10,000 BTC, and speculated on their ownership. The curious OP floated names like the Winklevoss twins and even jokingly suggested this might be "Satoshi's inheritance to his children." These six wallets, dating back to May 4, 2011, are the very same ones involved in the historic transaction, which moved their Bitcoin just hours after the earlier set of wallets from April 2, 2011, made their move. Forget our mystery whale, Reddit user RealVoldermort was the one who saw the storm coming before it ever even brewed. The Mysterious 6 Wallets Holding 10k BTC each from r/CryptoCurrency Of course, no one knows where these Bitcoins went. Was it a sale? Was it inheritance, simply moving from a deceased investor to their heir? Perhaps, it was Roger Ver—one of the earliest investors of Bitcoin, who championed the currency around its creation more than a decade ago. At least, that's what @SaniExp on Twitter claims with "99%" assurance. Constituents around the world have interesting theories as to why such a transaction occurred on a random Friday without any prior indications. Believing that Roger Ver is our leading man, some speculate that he executed the "sale" as part of a potential plea deal with the U.S. government. Ver, currently residing in Spain, is wanted in the United States on tax fraud charges and, earlier this year, appealed to President Trump for a pardon to avoid extradition. Regardless of who is revealed to be the whale swimming in the ocean, it's safe to say that it has shaken the world of crypto and finance as a whole. The new wallets, now containing over $8 billion of Bitcoin, have had no further movements since, and the true identity of our new owner remains unknown. We will update the story with more details if anything valuable surfaces. Follow Tom's Hardware on Google News to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
CNET
33 minutes ago
- CNET
Upgrade Your Home Theater With This $85 Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Deal During Prime Day
Big-screen TVs are great and all, but they're much better at showing you moving pictures than they are at playing sound. That's why adding a soundbar to your setup is a worthwhile investment, and this Amazon Prime Day deal makes it a no-brainer. Order soon, and you'll get the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar for just $85, down from the usual $120 asking price. You do need to be an Amazon Prime member to enjoy this deal, but you don't need to enter any discount codes or clip any coupons. You can pick up a free Amazon Prime trial if you aren't signed up. Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money. This soundbar connects to your setup and offers support for Bluetooth wireless connectivity as well as DTS Virtual:X and Dolby Audio via its built-in stereo speakers. And at just 24 inches long and 2.5 inches tall, it'll fit in most setups and entertainment centers with ease. Because this is a Fire TV product, it works seamlessly with other Amazon products, and you can even use a single remote. Connecting your new soundbar couldn't be easier, either. Just plug in the HDMI cable and you're off to the races. Finally, the soundbar can also enhance dialogue so it's easier to hear what's been said on-screen. Why this deal matters Whether you're watching a movie or playing a game, the picture is only part of the experience. The sound is just as important, and this soundbar has plenty to offer as an upgrade to your TV's speakers. We don't know how long this deal will last, so make sure to order yours before it's too late.
Gizmodo
33 minutes ago
- Gizmodo
This Dell 15″ Laptop (i5, 1TB PCIe SSD, 32GB RAM) Is 75% Off, Amazon Is Going Nuts for Prime Day
There is no better time to shop for laptops on Amazon than Prime Day. As the biggest shopping event of the year for the retailer, Prime Day is when Amazon slashes prices on everything – even going as far as selling best-selling items at a loss. This year, the Dell 15-inch 3530 laptop (Intel 10-Core i5-1334U, 1TB PCIe SSD, 32GB DDR4 RAM) is the best example of just how low these prices can go: You can pick up this beast of a machine right now for only $649, a whopping 73% off its regular price of $2,399. That's a discount of $1,750, and it makes this the best deal of all the Prime Day laptop sales. Even better, you don't have to be a Prime member to snag this deal. See at Amazon You'll enjoy a 13th generation Intel Core i5-1334U processor which features 10 cores that (unexpectedly) outperform the i7-1250U in the majority of tasks. That means snappy and responsive performance when you're multitasking or running demanding programs. Paired with a spacious 32GB of DDR4 RAM, this Dell laptop can handle demanding workloads and have multiple applications open in the background without slowing down. It also comes with a massive 1TB PCIe SSD which gives you instant boot-up times, quick file transfers and plenty of space for all of your files. The SSD also helps to keep the laptop quiet and power-efficient with less heat and noise than traditional hard drives. The 15-inch full HD screen provides a clear image with a 120Hz refresh rate, and everything from spreadsheets to streamed video appears smooth. With WiFi and Bluetooth built-in, it's easy to get online and connect your favorite wireless peripherals. The laptop has a number of ports including HDMI and USB Type-C (with an adapter), so you can hook up external monitors, storage, and more. The integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics are more than capable of handling daily visual tasks. You also get a built-in webcam. This Dell 15 3530 laptop comes with Windows 11 Pro, and offers a secure and modern operating system that's ready to work or play straight out of the box. The non-backlit keyboard has a 10-key numeric keypad and it is ideal for anyone who works with numbers or prefers a full keyboard layout. Weighing in at only 2,200 grams (approximately 4.85 pounds) and under an inch in depth, it's light enough to carry wherever life takes you. With Prime Day deals like this, stock is sure to move fast so don't wait too long to grab yours before this offer disappears. See at Amazon
