Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- YouTube has been testing various implementations of a “Play something” button since at least last year.
- The latest presents as a Floating Action Button (FAB) that serves up random content in the Shorts player.
- Right now it’s still unclear when Google might be ready to commit to the feature.
YouTube’s place among streaming services is a bit unique, with its user-created content representing arguably the most diverse collection of video the world’s ever seen. And while that means there’s almost always going to be something new and right up your alley to check out, the sheer number of viewing options available can absolutely feel a little overwhelming. Today we’re taking a look at one in-development tweak to the app that could soon offer an easy solution to when you find yourself unable to decide what to watch next.
Between subscriptions, suggestions, and just switching on autoplay and forgetting about it, it’s not like we’re exactly hurting for options to get new YouTube videos before our eyes. But Google seems to be playing around with the idea of a more explicit option for just getting a new video playing with as little friction as possible.
YouTube has been spotted testing a “Play something” Floating Action Button (FAB), as reported by 9to5Google. The button in its current form lives near the bottom of the screen, and tapping it launches into a Shorts player and instantly starts serving you content. The site notes that you still seem to be able to get regular-length (and aspect ratio) YouTube videos here, even with this player format.
Google’s been kicking this idea around for what feel like ever, and various implementations have been spotted in testing. Back in May of 2023, Reddit user ginajcole posted about finding a “Play something” banner, and that November Android Police noticed a new FAB that seemed to do the same — though dropping the “Play something” branding. This latest round of testing seems to bring all those earlier ideas together in one form.
Even with this feeling like the most mature stage of Google’s testing to date, it’s hard to say exactly when or if this might be ready to become a proper YouTube feature. Will Google just keep on sporadically testing as it makes its mind about about the future of “Play something”? Could it show up in YouTube labs for testers to opt in to trying out? At this stage, we’d just be happy to see Google make its mind up about following through on this one way or the other.
