YouTube is discontinuing its Stories feature, which allowed users to post temporary updates — by the 24 of June this feature will be no more. The feature was first introduced in 2017 and was available to users with over 10,000 subscribers.
In a blog post, YouTube said that the decision to discontinue Stories was made after careful consideration. “We’ve learned a lot from the Stories feature and we’re grateful to the creators who used it to share their stories with the world,” the company said. “However, we’ve decided to focus our efforts on other areas of the platform.”
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YouTube is encouraging creators to use other features on the platform, such as Community Posts and Shorts. Community Posts are a way for creators to share text-based updates, polls, quizzes, images, and videos with their subscribers. Shorts are short-form videos that are similar to those found on TikTok.
YouTube is not the first platform to discontinue its Stories feature. In 2021, Twitter discontinued its Fleets feature after only six months.
Why YouTube Discontinued Stories
There are a few reasons why YouTube may have decided to discontinue Stories. First, the feature was not widely used. According to a report from The Verge, only a small percentage of YouTube users were actually posting Stories.
Second, Stories may have been competing with other features on YouTube. For example, creators could use Community Posts to share updates with their subscribers, and Shorts are a popular way for creators to share short-form videos.
Finally, YouTube may have been trying to simplify its platform. With so many different features, it can be difficult for users to keep track of what’s available. By discontinuing Stories, YouTube may be hoping to make its platform easier to use.
What This Means for Creators
The discontinuation of Stories is a blow to creators who used the feature to share updates with their subscribers. However, there are still other ways for creators to connect with their audience on YouTube.
Creators can use Community Posts to share text-based updates, polls, quizzes, images, and videos with their subscribers. They can also use Shorts to share short-form videos. In addition, creators can still use YouTube’s traditional video format to share longer, more in-depth content.
The Future of Stories on YouTube
It’s unclear what the future holds for Stories on YouTube. The company has not said whether it plans to bring back the feature in the future. However, the discontinuation of Stories does suggest that YouTube is not as committed to the format as other platforms, such as Instagram and Snapchat.
Only time will tell whether Stories will have a future on YouTube. However, for now, creators who used the feature will need to find other ways to connect with their audience.
