The YouTube app could finally get a sleep timer (Update: Live as a Premium experiment)

YouTube could join YouTube Music, Spotify, and podcast apps in offering a sleep timer.

The YouTube app could finally get a sleep timer (Update: Live as a Premium experiment)
YouTube TV logo on smartphone stock photo (2)
Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
  • YouTube is working on implementing a sleep timer for the Android app, according to our teardown. This would allow playback to automatically stop after a specified period of time.
  • The app’s code suggests you can skip the timer and continue playback too.
  • Update: The timer feature is now live as a YouTube Premium experiment.

Update, August 9, 2024 (08:12 AM ET): YouTube has added the sleep timer as a YouTube Premium experiment. Sleep timer lets you set a timer to automatically pause playback after a certain amount of time. This experiment is available until September 2, 2024.

To try out the sleep timer, activate the feature from the YouTube Premium experiments page. Then, open any YouTube video on mobile or desktop and click on the Settings icon. You will find the Sleep Timer there, letting you choose between several intervals or until the end of the video. Once the set time is up, YouTube will pause the video, and you will get a popup letting you add more playback time to the timer.