Soon, YouTube may let users send messages, share videos within the app

YouTube is testing a built-in messaging tool that lets users share videos and chat directly inside the app

YouTube has begun testing a new feature that adds direct messaging back into the mobile app, letting people share videos and chat about them in one place. The company explained on its support page that it is experimenting with “new ways to share videos”, which includes the ability to send clips directly to another user and continue the conversation without switching to another app.

 

According to YouTube’s support page, to start a conversation users will need to send each other an invitation. Anyone who receives an invite can choose to accept or decline it, and YouTube will also allow users to block others or report conversations that violate its rules. All messages will be subject to YouTube’s existing Community Guidelines, the same standards used to moderate comments and video content.

In practice, this experiment brings back private messaging on YouTube, a feature that previously existed between 2017 and 2019 before being removed. The company says that the ability to privately share videos has been one of the most requested features in recent years.

 

For now, the test is limited to users aged 18 and older in Ireland and Poland. According to 9to5Google, the trial mirrors the older messaging system, which was discontinued to focus on public interactions through comments, posts and stories.

In related news, YouTube recently began rolling out a new “Ask” button powered by Google’s Gemini AI, letting viewers interact directly with the video they are watching. The feature can provide quick summaries, explain key topics, answer questions or offer short quizzes, with suggested prompts available in the chat-style interface. The Gemini-branded button appears below the video player on select English-language videos and is currently accessible on Android, iPhone and desktop devices.