YouTube TV app now connects to YouTube app on phone

YouTube is revealing an intriguing new feature that might be quite handy for individuals who have the YouTube app installed on their TV.

The new functionality allows you to easily connect your TV's YouTube app to your iPhone or Android phone's YouTube app.  (AFP)

YouTube is revealing an intriguing new feature that might be quite handy for individuals who have the YouTube app installed on their TV.

According to GSM Arena, previously, using your phone to control that app required going through the cast process, which was cumbersome. Also, while this worked when you found a video on your phone and wanted to watch it on the TV unless you were casting it, you couldn't obtain details about the presently playing video on the TV on your phone automatically.

The new functionality, which is available starting today, allows you to easily connect your TV's YouTube app to your iPhone or Android phone's YouTube app, eliminating the need for casting. It's also a full sync, which means you'll always get information about the video playing on your TV in the YouTube app on your phone.

This is the way how it works, open the YouTube app on your phone after starting the YouTube app on TV. By the way, they must both be logged into the same account. You'll notice an automatic prompt appear up when you open the phone app, and all you have to do now is tap Connect. Once you've done so, the two applications will be linked and will always be in sync.

You can use your phone's keyboard to search for things to view on TV, you can comment on a video you're presently watching on TV, or you can check the description of a film you're watching on TV on your phone.

The deployment may take some time, as with anything Google-related. It's unclear whether this will be a server-side rollout or if you'll need to upgrade the YouTube app on your phone, but you should have this new functionality shortly. And YouTube is already working on additional projects involving interactivity in the living room.

It's experimenting with different designs for the video watch page, for example, "to help fold in more uniquely YouTube features - such as browsing and shopping for products featured in videos", as illustrated in the image above.