YouTube is experimenting with a new lock screen feature for Premium users

YouTube is currently testing a new feature that allows users to lock their screens to avoid accidentally tapping a button and disrupting the video.

“Lock Screen” disables touch input, so when users watch a video in full-screen mode, they don’t have to worry about unintentionally pausing, skipping or selecting a suggested video. Users that have access to the test can tap on the gear icon in the top left corner of the screen to turn on the feature.

As reported by Cord Cutters News, which first spotted the new lock feature, it’s only available for select Premium subscribers on Android and iOS devices. YouTube is giving users until July 30 to try out the feature. Users can visit the YouTube home page to see if they received an invite.

Image Credits: YouTube

YouTube’s new experiment is like a feature that Netflix launched in 2020. Netflix’s mobile app introduced screen lock which lets subscribers tap a lock icon at the bottom of the screen to disable buttons like play and pause from appearing, which helps prevent stopping playback or turning on subtitles by mistake.

YouTube is running a few other tests at the moment, including a way to limit usage on ad blockers by warning users that the video player will be blocked after three videos unless the user disables the ad blocker. The company is also reportedly considering an online game offering that would let users play games via the YouTube website or app.