YouTube is testing a new recommendation feature that will see blue tags appear below video description boxes on both mobile and desktop devices. These bubbles serve to further filter the recommended videos that appear in the right-hand column on desktops, and underneath videos on the YouTube app.
When clicked, the tags trigger a new list of more specific recommendations, reports The Verge, including videos that are related to the current clip by keyword, creator, topic, and more. In a screencap obtained by the outlet (see below), for instance, a bathing suit try-on haul by the creator Mia Maples offered five tags, enabling viewers to display: ‘All’ recommended videos, other videos about ‘Swimsuits’, other videos produced by ‘Mia Maples’, ‘Related Videos’, and a somewhat nebulous ‘For You’ option. The test is only being piloted among a “small group of users,“ according to The Verge.
YouTube recommendations have garnered headlines in recent days after users on Reddit reported receiving bizarre suggestions — a bug that the company says it subsequently rectified.
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YouTube is constantly testing new features within its mobile app, and most recently rolled out the ability to navigate through different videos with swipe gestures. Last summer, in a move that feels similar to the blue recommendation tags, YouTube began incorporating hyperlinked hashtags above video titles that trigger new searches based on related topics.
