YouTube now lets TV viewers jump straight to the highlights

(Image credit: Jay Bonggolto / Android Central)

What you need to know

YouTube Premium users can now skip right to the good stuff on the big screen.
The Jump Ahead feature is already live on devices like the Nvidia Shield TV and Google TV streamer.
The feature studies where most people skip (sponsors, fluff, awkward intros) using AI and yeets you past the nonsense.

YouTube Premium users on TV are starting to get access to the new Jump Ahead feature, which lets you skip straight to the key parts of a video.

Mishaal Rahman from Android Authority spotted the Jump Ahead feature working on his Nvidia Shield TV. It was previously limited to YouTube’s web and mobile apps, but it’s now popping up on TVs too.

The TV version of Jump Ahead works a bit differently than on mobile or web. Instead of showing a “Jump Ahead” button when you try to skip past a popular spot, it marks the ideal skip point with a dot on the progress bar. When you fast-forward using your remote, the dot gets highlighted, and hitting it again jumps you straight to that moment.

Way better than double-tap hell

Prior to this update, double-tapping on YouTube just skipped a few seconds ahead. While the app did add a waveform to show popular parts of a video, it wasn’t exactly the easiest or most useful way to find key moments.

So, if you hate waiting around, Jump Ahead might be your new favorite YouTube feature.

YouTube Jump Ahead feature seen on its TV app — (Image credit: Android Authority)

The tool is a smarter jump to the parts people actually care about. It uses AI to track viewing habits and takes you straight to the scenes most viewers tend to fast-forward to.

YouTube’s AI-based feature, which started testing last year, is quickly becoming a go-to for regular viewers. It helps skip past sponsors and fluff, jumping right to the parts that actually matter.

YouTube quietly lists Jump Ahead as available on TV devices, but there’s no clear rollout timeline. It’s not popping up on every screen yet, and YouTube is keeping mum with no official launch news so far. Over at Android Police, they’ve already spotted Jump Ahead in action on their Google TV streamer.

Jay Bonggolto always keeps a nose for news. He has been writing about consumer tech and apps for as long as he can remember, and he has used a variety of Android phones since falling in love with Jelly Bean. Send him a direct message via Twitter or LinkedIn.

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