YouTube to build live streaming feature into Android phone cameras
To make it even easier for you to start live streaming on YouTube, the video platform has revealed that soon you’ll be able to start a stream natively from your phone’s own camera app.
YouTube has announced that it’s working directly with LG, Samsung, Motorola, Nokia and Asus on the new functionality, and that users should expect the feature to start appearing soon.
Between them, these manufacturers command a large portion of the Android phone market, but conspicuously absent is Apple, meaning the functionality is currently not set to appear on iPhones.
It’s unclear whether Apple would be comfortable letting users livestream to YouTube directly from their app. Apple doesn’t currently have its own competing live streaming service, but Google does still offer a competing piece of software in almost every other area, raising questions about how much collaboration Apple would want to engage in.
Similar changes are also coming to PC, where going to youtube.com/webcam will allow you to more or less immediately start streaming on the platform.
Doing it live
It’s hard to say whether YouTube’s livestreaming efforts have been successful so far. The platform is more widely known for its pre-recorded content, while its main competitor Twitch continues to be the platform of choice for most video game streamers.
But with native support in a half dozen different Android phone apps, the convenience might just encourage some people to switch to YouTube, at least for the short-form kind of content you’d usually stream from a mobile.
We’ll have to wait a little longer to see whether or not the livestreaming community picks up on the new opportunity.
Would you be more likely to livestream if you could do it straight from your camera app? Let us know @TrustedReviews
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
