YouTube wants to make it easier for users on mobile to spot when a channel is live streaming, so a new feature is being introduced called “Live Rings.”
As Neal Mohan, Chief Product Office at YouTube, explains on Twitter, the video platform is “really focused [on] making it easier for users to find livestreams.” The easiest way to do that, on mobile at least, is to add a red ring around a channel avatar along with the word “LIVE” to represent when a live stream is in progress.
When scrolling through channels it should be much easier now to spot which ones are live, and tapping the Live Ring avatar will load the active live stream. Mohan is encouraging all YouTube Creators to take advantage of the new feature, and we have to assume Live Rings is already available for anyone who starts a live stream on YouTube.
The new feature follows an interface redesign for YouTube on Android and iOS earlier this month, although it’s being rolled out slowly. The new design makes popular features more easily accessible and the comments section is now just one tap away. Live Rings is clearly aiming to get users to content quicker, mirroring the same one tap action to get you watching live content.
