YouTube is taking on TikTok with 15-second long videos

YouTube says that if users want to record a video that is longer than 15 seconds, they will have to upload one from their phone’s gallery.

YouTube is also working on a manual selector for voice search. (Bloomberg)

YouTube is taking on TikTok with a new experiment that enables users to share 15-second long multi-segment videos on its platform. This is the same as TikTok and Instagram's Reels feature.

The new multi-segment video feature can be accessed by tapping on the ‘Create a Video' button in the mobile upload flow. Then users will have to tap and release the record button to record short video clips. Once users have recorded video clips that are 15-second long in total, it will combine these clips and then upload it as one single video, which is similar to the way TikTok works.

YouTube says that if users want to record a video that is longer than 15 seconds, they will have to upload one from their phone's gallery. Simply said, once this feature is rolled out, users will no longer be able to upload videos longer than 15 seconds directly from the app.

This experiment is available only on YouTube's Android and iOS-based apps to a select group of users only. And for now it remains uncertain if YouTube will be adding other features such as filers, music or AR to this feature and when exactly the feature will be ready for a wider rollout. But for now, we know that YouTube has its eyes set on TikTok-like videos.

It is worth noting that the multi-segment is not the only experiment that YouTube is working on. The video sharing app is also working on a manual selector for voice search. This feature will let users to select a different language for voice search than what's currently set in users' app settings. This experiment is currently being tested for Punjabi, Uzbek, Burmese and Estonian. That said, it remains uncertain when this feature will be available in the app.