YouTube is testing its popular feature Ask YouTube in Shorts player, that allows users to ask questions about what's currently on their screen. Google had first announced Ask YouTube feature at Google I/O 2026, aiming to make video content faster and easier.
However, the new Ask YouTube feature inside the Shorts player experiment aims to help users understand video content, explore related topics, and find new creators without leaving the viewing experience.
Details about Ask YouTube in Shorts
According to YouTube’s Creator Insider video, the test is limited, and the global experiment is currently available to U.S. viewers across web, mobile, and TV, searching in English only. Participation is restricted to viewers aged 18 and older.
Eligible viewers can tap the sparkle icon on selected Shorts to access suggested prompts or ask their own questions about the content. This conversational search tool lets users ask complex questions and follow-ups and get results interactively.
The feature will also support free-form prompts, wherein users can enter specific questions. YouTube has not said anything regarding its approach to select Shorts or whether creators will have control over participation.
Built on Ask YouTube's Watch Page
The Shorts feature is built on Ask YouTube’s existing watch-page feature launched last year. The company is expanding it to help viewers connect more deeply with the creators they prefer.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai had previously revealed that more than 140 million users had engaged with Ask YouTube on the watch page in June 2026.
According to YouTube’s official announcement, “Earlier this year we added the feature to TVs, and viewers will soon be able to use Ask YouTube directly from the watch page while watching Shorts and live streams, receiving instant context as the action unfolds.”
Why this Matters?
The new Ask YouTube feature could answer questions about Shorts, encouraging deeper engagement. Alongside, YouTube’s new Android and iOS feeds would help viewers discover similar creators, browse related Shorts, and explore topics based on their watch history. YouTube has not announced a specific launch date regarding access to the Shorts experiment.
For all the latest news around the tech landscape, visit WisdomPlexus.
Read More : Inside Google’s Crawling Infrastructure: How Googlebot Really Works?
