Google Introduces New iOS App That Lets Users Collaboratively Watch YouTube Videos

Google startup incubator Area 120 has put out a new iOS app that lets users watch a YouTube video simultaneously on their iPhones. The app, which is called Uptime, will make it possible for viewers to collaboratively view clips and discuss things real-time.

Over the weekend, Google’s Area 21 brought Uptime to Apple’s iOS App Store. The free-to-download app is described as a hub where friends can “share and watch videos together.” This is particularly helpful to friends who are far from each other but want to share or discuss some things about a video they saw on the famous video-sharing site, YouTube.

Uptime is only available in the U.S. as of late, and there is no indication if Google intends to bring it to other regions as well. For people who have access to the app, they can now enjoy the practical features of the new video app from Google, such as doing a live commentary on a clip that is being simultaneously watched, as per Apple Insider.

Commenting on a video is not as boring as simply typing texts in Uptime. Users can make reactions, add stickers, like a video and do many other things just to get the discussion flowing. There’s also a progress bar on the interface to show how far along the users are in the video. Each user’s avatar will be displayed on the progress bar, so their friends will now about their progress in the video.

According to MacRumors, Uptime serves as a social hub for regular YouTube viewers. Users can not only follow each other in the app, they can also check out the watch history of each other and recommend vids uploaded on YouTube without having to leave the app.

Uptime is currently available for download from the iOS App Store. However, only users with an invitation to use it will have access to the service. For interested consumers, they can use the code “Pizza” to obtain an invite to use the app.