YouTube has launched a new test that could prevent users from receiving push notifications for channels with frequent uploads, even if they have opted to receive all alerts.
According to an announcement from TeamYouTube, the experiment affects channels where users have notifications set to “all” but have not been engaging with recent alerts. The test will not impact notifications for channels that upload infrequently.
TeamYouTube representative Rob clarified that viewers who remain actively engaged with push notifications will continue receiving them as usual. However, those who consistently ignore alerts may stop receiving them on their devices. Notifications will still be available in the YouTube app’s inbox.
It remains unclear whether users will be notified that they are missing alerts, raising concerns about YouTube managing notifications on behalf of its users.
Rob explained that the goal of the experiment is to improve notification efficiency: “When viewers turn off all notifications from YouTube, all creators are unable to reach even their most engaged viewers outside the app. This experiment aims to reduce that problem.”
While excessive notifications can be overwhelming, some users may still want to be informed about their favorite channels’ updates, even if they do not watch immediately.
YouTube describes this as a “small experiment,” but there is no indication of how long it will run or if it will be expanded to more users.
