YouTube is taking baby steps to become a true podcast app

New features Coming to YouTube It can make listening to podcasts better, and is rolling out to premium subscribers starting today on Android and coming later to iOS.

The new Navigation Mode switches YouTube to an audio-first layout, with larger, simplified play buttons, a still image instead of video, and a timeline displaying video chapters. YouTube says you can turn this new mode on in your video settings, and a pop-up will also appear if YouTube detects you’re moving while watching a video.

If you want to speed up your podcasts to watch episodes faster, YouTube’s new auto-speed feature can help you automate that process. It automatically adjusts the playback speed based on the video content and the minimum speed you set. During the slower or less important moments of a video or podcast, playback will speed up and return to the base speed afterward.

YouTube is also expanding its Ask Music AI search feature to include podcasts. In the YouTube Music app, you can use chatbot prompts to ask for podcast recommendations based on genre, activity, or creator. Spotify is starting to offer the same Podcast suggestions through chatbot prompts Earlier this year.