The Verge's weekend editor compiled a roundup of short horror and surreal videos available on YouTube, including the 1983 cult short 'Possibly in Michigan,' the animated road-trip oddity 'Homemade Gatorade,' the minimalist cosmic horror piece 'Portrait of God,' and 'Heck,' the short film that inspired the feature 'Skinamarink.' The piece frames these as alternative seasonal recommendations to a single film or album for Halloween viewing.
theverge.com
· 2026-10-31
Meta has settled a social media addiction lawsuit filed by an 18-year-old Mississippi woman identified as K.D.B., just as jury selection was underway in Los Angeles. The plaintiff had already settled with TikTok and YouTube earlier, and her attorney confirmed the Meta settlement Friday without disclosing terms. Snap now remains the only defendant, with CEO Evan Spiegel expected to testify if the case proceeds to trial.
engadget.com
· 2026-10-30
Some YouTube users say videos are randomly dropping out of full-screen mode into the floating mini player, with audio cutting out entirely. Restoring sound reportedly requires restarting the video or the app, though one user said even that workaround failed. The issue was first reported on Reddit roughly two weeks ago and appears to still be ongoing.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-10-30
YouTube is piloting a new process for channels facing termination over spam policy violations, giving eligible creators 30 days to fix or remove offending videos, or wipe their entire video library, to avoid losing their channel. Channels in this locked period cannot upload new videos or post comments, but creators who clear out their libraries keep their subscriber count, channel handle, and monetization status.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-10-30
Google published a changelog detailing a wave of fixes to its Home app and Gemini assistant, addressing issues like Gemini falsely claiming it misunderstood unspoken commands, incorrect alarm volume settings, and confusion between timers and sleep timers. The update also includes improvements for YouTube TV voice commands on smart displays and better handling of Matter-connected smart plugs.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-10-29
Curry Barker, director of the horror film Obsession, has published a nearly five-minute horror short called "Mama Bear" on his "that's a bad idea" YouTube channel. Barker wrote, directed, and edited the short, and its description credits Windows as a sponsor, following an Instagram appearance by Barker this week featuring a Surface laptop.
theverge.com
· 2026-10-29
In its Q3 2026 earnings report, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai said combined YouTube Music and YouTube Premium subscribers have surpassed 150 million worldwide, up from 125 million reported earlier this year. The figure includes users on free trials, consistent with how the prior count was calculated.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-10-28
YouTube has launched six new interactive Playables made with partner organizations and creators, including Black Girls Code, the Jed Foundation, Khan Academy, and Math with Mr. J. The games, found in YouTube's Explore menu and Home feed, cover topics like physics, mindfulness, and math, and are mainly aimed at elementary-age children, though adults can play too.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-10-28
An Entrepreneur contributor opinion piece argues that YouTube video content has become central to digital discovery, citing shifts toward voice assistants and AI-powered search. The piece outlines four pillars businesses should use: brand authority, traditional SEO, and other optimization tactics like descriptive titles, transcripts and repurposing clips for social media and landing pages.
entrepreneur.com
· 2026-10-28
Instagram is piloting a new long-form video format called Features, allowing clips up to 90 minutes in landscape orientation, currently limited to a small group of creators in the US and Brazil. Instagram head Adam Mosseri confirmed on Threads that the company has no monetization system in place yet, only saying it is 'exploring multiple options' to pay creators.
theverge.com
· 2026-10-28
Instagram is piloting a new format, Features, letting selected US creators publish horizontal videos up to 90 minutes long, after an earlier trial in Brazil. Reels can link directly to these longer videos, and Instagram plans to surface them via Explore and its TV app. Instagram chief Adam Mosseri said he previously opposed long-form video on the platform but now hopes short and long clips can work together.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-10-27
Nielsen's Gauge report found YouTube captured 14.2 percent of total US television viewing time in July 2026, nearly double Netflix's 7.8 percent share. The data also showed ad-supported services The Roku Channel and Tubi outperforming Peacock and Warner Bros. Discovery's streaming offerings, including HBO Max, on TV screens.
engadget.com
· 2026-10-26
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