YouTube testing in-app messaging so you never need to leave

As if YouTube wasn’t enough of a rabbit hole that’s difficult to escape, the video app is testing out a messaging feature.

This would allow users to chat and share links without ever leaving the app. This means that they can spend more time browsing and viewing videos.

Google has confirmed that it is testing this new feature with a small number of users. The messaging service only allows for the sharing of videos and can’t be used to share photos or gifs. You can however share videos with multiple people at once.

YouTube is also testing a feature that allows viewers on mobile to pick up videos where they left off. The app will show a thin red line below the video frame to show where you stopped watching, so you can skip to this moment immediately.