Google Makes YouTube’s Uptime App Available To All Users

It was back in March early this year when Google’s Area 120 first debuted Uptime, a mobile app that basically allows users to enjoy watching YouTube clips with friends while having the ability to post comments and reactions. Back at that time, the app was only made available to those who had invites. But recently this week, Google has since decided to eliminate the invite requirement in order to let everyone make full use of Uptime.

Most people browse and watch YouTube videos on their own, and when they see something they fancy, they then proceed to sharing the clip with friends by sending the YouTube link through chat conversations or posting them in their social media accounts. But with the use of the Uptime mobile app, users can have their friends watch the same videos with them, either in real time, or at a later time through playback, but still be able to see the comments and reactions being actively displayed while the video is playing. 

The reactions can run from the usual regular comments to the more lively emoji. While watching a clip, users can tap a smiley, a surprised face, heart shaped eyes, an angry face, a crying face, or a grimace. There is even an option to display “sparkles” but these will only be seen by those watching the clip in real time (as opposed to viewing it through playback).

In the three months since the Uptime mobile app made its debut, Google’s team has incorporated some new features. The most notable include a Facebook friend search engine tool, support for watching music videos from the hottest musical artists, and an overhauled home screen that facilitates faster browsing of video content.

Google’s Area 120 continues to build a solid track record. For those not familiar with Area 120, it allows employees of Google to explore new concepts for cool things. So far, the program has already given birth to pretty clever ideas such as Tailor (personal stylist app), Supersonic (voice messenger), Grasshopper (app for learning how to write code), and Appointments (salon booking app), which will soon be released to the public.

By making the Uptime mobile app available to all users, it would appear as though Google is giving the app a formal launch of sorts. But it is worth noting that the tech giant technically does not publish apps developed by its Area 120 program under its own name.