Upcoming YouTube updates: Everything we know so far

YouTube as a platform has changed significantly since its first videos were uploaded to the website in 2005. And the changes, it seems, will continue.

The top longform video-posting app seems to be focusing a lot more on engagement and user interactions. As with most social media-focused apps these days, it's less about how many people are following you and more about how many people are seeing and engaging with your content on a daily basis.

An update on the official YouTube blog earlier this morning went through every new update soon coming to the app. Here are just a few highlights to note.

• Badges: Users will be able to display badges for showing off certain achievements, such as a creator liking a comment or being one of the first to support a creator financially in the app.
• A better YouTube viewing experience: YouTube is improving how the app will look on your TV. We wrote about the YouTube television update previously.
• Sleep timer: If you're someone who often falls asleep while watching YouTube videos, this ones' for you. Set a timer and never have to worry about waking up to a random face on your screen again.
• Playlists are in: Now more than ever, YouTube wants you to focus on building playlists and sharing them with other people.

Not much seems to be changing for creators at the moment, but that's OK -- we have plenty of other things to worry about. Like watching all these updates roll out while bot comments are still running wild on videos with no real way to stop them, and grifters making money off hate speech and harassment despite mass reporting attempts. You know, all the usual stuff.

But at least YouTube is still making updates. Who doesn't love a good badge next to your name?