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YouTube TV Adds ‘Mark as Watched’ Feature, but Not to TVs or Players

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YouTube TV is now in the process of rolling out an option to mark videos as ‘watched.’ The more information a user can provide YouTube TV with, the better it will be at recommending content in the future.

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With YouTube TV being a Google service, it is one that focuses very much on smarts. Arguably, it is one of the better live TV streaming services for this very reason with YouTube TV always looking to understand its users better, and deliver a more individual experience based on that knowledge.

Now, YouTube is expanding on that user feedback approach with a new ‘mark as watched’ feature. The tweak was announced by YouTube TV on social media, with the post stating that the feature will roll out to all devices in the coming weeks. Once live, users not only can mark a single episode as watched, but also an entire series, or even a whole show.

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That’s except for TVs and players

Along with confirming the new feature via social media, YouTube TV has also updated its help pages with more information. For example, the instructions on how to actually mark a show as watched.

On mobile, users can do this by either long-pressing on the title or using the menu button to access the “mark this episode as watched” option. In contrast, computer users only have the option of going through the menu and selecting the option to “mark this episode as watched.”

Notably missing from the instructions is how a user might do this through a smart TV or a connected set-top box. However, at the bottom of the help page, YouTube TV does state the following:

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At this time, you can only mark a video as watched on a mobile device or computer.

YouTube TV Help

Considering this is a feature that has only just started rolling out, it seems likely that smart TVs, Android TV, Roku and Fire TV devices are not included in this particularly rollout.

With TVs and STBs likely to be the way subscribers most commonly access the service, the lack of initial support for TV-based products is a little unfortunate.

Source: YouTube TV Help

John Finn

By John Finn

John started Streaming Better to help consumers navigate the live TV streaming and subscription service landscape. John has been editing and writing about technology and streaming for online publications since 2014, and believes the best streaming approach is to rotate between services as needed.

John's preferred live TV streaming service right now is YouTube TV although he does tend to switch live TV services multiple times each year to keep up to date with their changes. Outside of live TV, John also actively streams HBO Max (for the shows), Peacock (for Premier League), and Paramount Plus (for Champion's League). However, John is also currently subscribed to Apple TV+, Discovery+, Hulu, Starz, Showtime, and Shudder.

Contact John via email at john@streamingbetter.com or say hi on Twitter

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