YouTube is offering a new way for viewers to engage with YouTube live streams called Timed Reactions, which of course include emojis.
The platform has been experimenting with timed reactions on the platform for a while and are now releasing it. Viewers can add an emoji marker to a specific time in the chat, for the use of other viewers to go back to. So, if there was a funny moment at 4.20 min, other viewers can go back and see why there is a laughing emoji at that point.
As per YouTube: “Viewers on iOS can now react to live streams in real-time by tapping the reaction that corresponds to how they are feeling. Both creators and other viewers will see the reactions but they will not be able to see which user left which reaction as reactions are anonymous.”
In turn, YouTubers can get a better read of how their material is making their users feel, and enjoy increased engagement from viewers on stream and on replays.
All YouTubers are eligible in this opt-out scheme, which means the feature will be available by default and creators can turn it off in the settings.
