YouTube is testing a feature that will allow users to “pinch and zoom” on a video, similar to how you can on an Instagram post.
The feature, brought to our attention by 9to5Google, allows “premium” YouTube subscribers to zoom in on a video on the screen, even in landscape mode.
As YouTube explains, to use pinch and zoom, the user can simply “Pinch the video player with two fingers to zoom in and out.”
Instead of filling the screen, pinch to zoom lets you use two fingers to zoom in on the video player. Once zoomed in, the report explains, you can move around and see parts of the video more closely.
Image: YouTube
It will be available until September 1 for testing by premium users, just under a month for the platform to get its ducks in a row and potentially roll it out to its user base.
If you’re a YouTube Premium subscriber, you can find the new zoom feature by heading to the settings menu (either on your phone or desktop browser). The feature is in the “Test New Features” section.
YouTube Premium is a solid option if you want to pay to skip its often creepy advertising. But it costs $14.99 per month, with a 30-day free trial also available. A student plan will cost you $8.99 per month and a family plan will cost $22.99 per month. With family, you can add up to five users. Price includes access to YouTube Music, offline downloads and background playback.
But for everyone else who doesn’t want these extras, we’ll just have to wait for pinch and zoom to eventually make it to the free, ad-supported version of YouTube.