Searching for something online by simply describing what you want is becoming pretty normal now. Google Search can do it. ChatGPT can do it. And YouTube has been slowly turning its own search box into something that works in a similar fashion.
YouTube has now announced a wider rollout for Ask YouTube, its conversational AI search tool. The feature is available to users in the U.S. across the web, mobile devices, and TVs. Mobile is the newest addition here, after Ask YouTube previously expanded to the web and smart TVs. Instead of putting a few keywords into the search bar, you can ask YouTube a complete question, describe what you are looking for, and then refine the results using follow-up questions.
You can get pretty specific with it
YouTube says people are already using Ask YouTube for searches around DIY Halloween costumes, video essays, and even whether they should cut their own bangs. Once you enter a query, Ask YouTube pulls together relevant videos and presents them in a more interactive format instead of the usual endless list of search results. Follow-up questions can then narrow things down further.
We have already seen how the feature works on the web. During earlier testing, Ask YouTube returned written overviews, featured videos, timestamped sections from longer uploads, and collections of Shorts grouped under different topics. TV users can also rely on voice commands, which makes more sense than typing a detailed question with a remote.
Ask YouTube is also coming to more videos
Google is also expanding Ask YouTube beyond the search page. The watch-page version of the feature will soon work while watching Shorts and live streams, letting viewers ask questions and get additional context without leaving the video. For now, the wider rollout is limited to the U.S. YouTube has not said when users in other countries will get access.