The ability to zoom in on any video on mobile devices is a new feature that YouTube is testing with its premium customers. According to 9to5Google, the most recent opt-in experimental feature allows users to zoom in and out of videos using the pinch-to-zoom gesture. This functionality is compatible with both landscape and portrait views.
The experimental feature has been launched today for a limited number of users and is listed on YouTube’s experimental features site. According to reports, the zoom feature will remain in the trial until September 1st, giving YouTube about a month to gather user feedback and make any necessary tweaks before rolling it out to the public.
To access the pinch to zoom feature from your phone or the website, one will need to visit the YouTube setting. If you’re a YouTube Premium subscriber, you should have access to the “test new features” section. The zoom feature is the only component that can currently be tested. Although few users have complained inability to utilize the pinch gesture to zoom in closer on any videos right away after turning on the test, thus it appears there may be a delay between signing up and being able to use it. However, users should be able to zoom in up to 8x once it becomes operational, though.
On Android and iOS, there are existing accessibility features that allow users to zoom in on YouTube content, and doing so is obviously quite simple in a desktop browser. However, having it as a selectable native feature in the mobile app makes it even more practical. A long-time feature on Android, picture-in-picture mode was finally made accessible by YouTube for the iPhone and iPad last month after being tested first by premium users.