YouTube Tests New Sleep Timer Feature for Premium Users

YouTube is rolling out a new experimental feature for its Premium subscribers: a sleep timer that pauses video playback after a set time. While not a groundbreaking addition, it's a useful tool for those who enjoy falling asleep to podcasts, music, or white noise.

Premium users can access this feature via desktop by visiting a specific page or through the "Settings > Try experimental new features" option on mobile devices. Once enabled, the Sleep Timer option will appear in the video player's settings menu, allowing users to pause the video after intervals of 10, 15, 20, 30, 45, or 60 minutes, or at the video's end.

After the timer pauses the video, a pop-up will appear, offering the option to extend the timer if needed.

Although YouTube is a bit late to the party—Spotify has had a sleep timer for some time, and TikTok introduced sleep nudges based on bedtime last year—this feature could become a permanent part of the platform. The experimental period for the sleep timer runs until September 2, and many hope that it will eventually be extended to all users, not just Premium subscribers.

Previous YouTube experiments include an AI assistant that answers video-related questions and a lock screen feature to prevent accidental taps.