YouTube has announced that it will be discontinuing its Stories feature starting from June 26th. Existing Stories will remain active for seven days after the initial sharing date.
Initially introduced in 2017 under the name Reels, the Stories feature was available to users with over 10,000 subscribers. Similar to Instagram and Snapchat, YouTube Stories allowed creators to share temporary updates and behind-the-scenes content to promote their channels. However, the feature failed to gain popularity among creators, with limited access and low engagement.
Bradley Rhodes
As an alternative to Stories, YouTube suggests using Community Posts and Shorts. Community Posts, a text-based update feature, now offers the option to set a limited time for post visibility. Creators can share various content, including polls, quizzes, images, and videos, through Community Posts, which appear in a dedicated tab on channels.
YouTube has also been actively promoting its Shorts feature, aiming to compete with TikTok. The platform encourages creators to explore short-form video content and has introduced a revamped monetization plan to incentivize creators to embrace Shorts.
Bradley Rhodes
YouTube's decision to remove Stories reflects the growing popularity of short-form video content, particularly influenced by the rise of TikTok. By shifting its focus to other features like Community Posts, Shorts, and live videos, YouTube aims to cater to the changing needs of creators and users alike.