What you need to know
- YouTube for smart TV has introduced a bunch of new capabilities, including a new sign-in process.
- It allows you to log in to your YouTube account without using the on-screen keyboard.
- YouTube will also now display the current video playback resolution dynamically.
Signing in to your YouTube account on smart TVs can prove unwieldy if you're left with no other choice but to use the on-screen keyboard. Fortunately, YouTube added a sign-in option using a web browser, but a new option makes that process much easier.
YouTube has added a new feature that allows you to sign in to your YouTube account on your smart TV without having to use the virtual keyboard on the screen. You only need to approve the login attempt on your smartphone. This eliminates the need to manually enter your email address and password.
The new mobile sign-in option was discovered by Android Police, and YouTube's support page has been updated with instructions on how to sign in with your device. To do so, go to the YouTube home page on your smart TV and click the "sign in" button in the upper left corner. Then, select the "Sign in with your phone" pop-up option. The next step is to grant access on your Android phone by opening the YouTube app and then linking your existing account.
In addition to the new mobile sign-in feature, YouTube now dynamically shows the active resolution of your current video playback from SD up to 8K. Prior to this change, you had to open the pop-up mini menu to check the video playback resolution.
YouTube also tweaked the captions menu, adding new options to change the font and font size without interrupting video playback. You can also change the background and window color.
Late last year, YouTube rolled out a proper playlist UI on Android TV and Google TV, displaying the playlist name and other details on the left side of the screen instead of playing the entire playlist once clicked. The service also announced the arrival of video chapters on smart TVs and video game consoles.
The most recent updates are a bit late, but they are a welcome improvement to YouTube's smart TV interface. The new features should be available on a wide range of smart TV models, including the best Android TVs.
