After a long wait, YouTube is implementing in its official app one of the most requested capabilities: Sharing videos with a timestamp (Timestamp). From now on you will be able to share videos directly from your mobile so that they open exactly at the point you selected, which will save you the need to explain to the other side which minute they need to skip to in order to see the relevant part. This is a significant upgrade to the mobile user experience, but it comes alongside the cancellation of another familiar tool.
This new capability replaces the Clips feature, which until now allowed you to "cut" a short segment from an existing video. If you used this tool to define an exact end time for the segment or to add a personal description to it, you should know that these options will no longer be available. According to YouTube, "The ability to set an end time or include a custom description when sharing will no longer be accessible". However, the company reassures and notes that you will still be able to watch all the segments you created and saved in the past.
The decision to cancel the Clips tool, which was originally launched in 2021, stems from a change in YouTube's approach to built-in editing tools. The company explains that although cutting segments is an important way for creators to reach new audiences, today there are enough external tools that offer advanced and certified editing options for the various video platforms. Therefore, instead of weighing down the app, YouTube chose to simplify the process and allow you to simply point to a specific start time in a fast and direct way.