YouTube’s Messenger Feature, Previously Limited To Mobile, Has Been Spotted On Desktops

A feature that has been available on YouTube‘s mobile apps now appears to be on its way to the desktop version of the video site. The feature in question is YouTube’s in-app messaging client, which lets users share videos and chat with one another.

9to5Google, which first spotted the desktop version of the feature, noticed a new drop down menu in the upper-right corner of the video site’s layout. By clicking on a speech bubble icon, messenger users can converse with people they have previously messaged or shared videos with. If your chat box is empty, you can add to it by using a “Contacts” list that can be accessed from the same drop-down menu.

Screenshots of the desktop messenger client can be found over at 9to5Google. On my personal YouTube account, I cannot see the speech bubble icon, suggesting that YouTube is only rolling out chat to some users.

YouTube first announced its plan to build a messenger client in 2016. In January of the following year, the service arrived in Canada; later it 2017, it became available for users around the globe, though it remained limited to the various mobile versions of YouTube, including its iOS and Android apps.

While we don’t yet know when all desktop users will be able to access the new feature, there is evidence to suggest that YouTube would like to bring its messenger to a wider range of devices. Earlier this year, the video site hinted that in-app chat could soon come to YouTube TV and YouTube Music.