According to reports, YouTube is testing a new ‘Recommended Downloads’ feature within the downloads section of its app.
Five years ago, YouTube started rolling out a new offline video downloads feature to its app. Now available in most countries across the globe, it allows users to download videos to their devices to view at a later time. This is especially useful when they may not have access to reliable data connections. Now, it seems YouTube is going a step further with this, opening up a new ‘Recommended Downloads’ feature.
The feature – spotted in the wild by a user in Malaysia,@JazliAziz, and then reported by Android Police – provides users with a list of suggested videos that they “might want to make available for offline watching.”
So far, this is the only example of the feature, but all social platforms – YouTube included – are known for testing features in some markets before “tweaking” and then making available to all. The downloads section in itself – while available in most countries – also might not be available for all users in those countries, and only available to YouTube Premium account-holders.

Credit: Android Police
This test has been spotted only days after it was announced that YouTube is rolling out another feature for mobile users: The ability to swipe between videos on its app.
Also this week, according to The Verge, YouTube looks like it’s testing “a new recommendation format for both mobile and desktop users.” According to the report, the new format uses “blue bubbles to suggest keywords, creators, and related topics to help browse through videos.”
The bubbles appear below the video player allowing users to filter through recommendations that appear on the right-hand side on desktop – or below, on mobile.
You might also like
More from Youtube
YouTube Now Lets You Add A Voiceover To Your Shorts
YouTube is adding one of its most-requested features to Shorts; the ability to add a voiceover, like narration and original …
YouTube Starts Adding Watermarks To Downloaded Shorts Clips
YouTube has started adding watermarks to downloaded Shorts clips to stop users from cross-posting them to other platforms.
YouTube Expands Offense Warnings To Desktop, Updates Payments System
New updates for creators! A dedicated payments account within AdSense, and warnings on potentially offensive text detected by AI.
YouTube Offering Podcast Networks Up To $300k To Film Episodes
YouTube is offering financial incentives to podcasting networks to adapt their shows to a video format and share them on …
YouTube Adds Guided Support For Community Guideline Violations
YouTube has updated its review process to provide creators with specifics about the reportedly violative video and facilitate a resolution.
YouTube Announces #YouTubeBlack Voices Creator Class Of 2022
YouTube's second edition of its $100 million #YouTubeBlack Voices Fund has announced 135 worldwide winners.
YouTube Is Looking To Innovate Its Product Offering With NFTs And DAOs
YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki hinted at the possibility that YouTube will expand its range of creator offerings to include NFTs.
YouTube Significantly Improves User Experience On TVs
Google has announced new features that improve the user experience on its TV app, to save users time when using …
YouTube Is Enhancing Its Studio Mobile App
YouTube Studio is bringing its mobile app in line with its desktop version for creators to better manage their channels …