Uptime Released by Google: Watch Youtube Videos with Your Friends

Google’s in-house start-up Area 120 Incubator, recently came up with Uptime. It is an app that was basically made to allow two or more users comment and watch YouTube content online.

One thing you’ll notice about Uptime is that it is modeled after Facebook’s “live videos” function.  One of the most noticeable similarities is how Uptime also has icons or display pictures from other users floating around the screen. You can also see the comments and emoji replies from the people watching the same video as you are.

On the other hand, you are free to send your comments and emoji reactions and the people watching the same video you are will see your interactions as well.

Another nifty feature is that Google is making Uptime a video social media service that allows people to follow each other. When you follow people, you will be able to see their activities such as what video they are currently watching which will also allow you to “follow” them to their video so you can start watching with them. Of course, users are also given the freedom to write reviews or impressions about the videos that they have watched. These reviews will naturally be visible to the people in your circle which opens up your impressions to discussions and the like.

According to some lucky testers, users are also able to curate content that they like. These “favorites” will then be given as a recommendation to the people following them. I personally think that this opens up a lot of possibilities with regards to video sharing which will make Uptime a dedicated video sharing social media service.

As of today’s writing, the app is available exclusively in the United States and it’s invite-only at the moment. As someone that isn’t based in the United States, I cannot personally test the app as well as its features so I cannot write my own impressions and recommendations.

Uptime is the brainchild of Area 120 Incubator initiative which is essentially Google giving their employees the initiative to work on their own endeavors. It’s worth noting that Gmail is also a result of such an initiative in the earlier days so I am positively looking forward to the future as Google is only getting started. 

Key Takeaway

Uptime is definitely a great step forward with regards to social media integration in our daily lives. As an SEO content creator, I am also excited for what we can potentially do with the almost limitless possibilities that Uptime presents. I’m also hoping that they make Uptime available for users worldwide for both Android and Apple devices.

Regarding the usage of Uptime for SEO, I imagine the service to be a more user-centric YouTube with a touch of Twitch’s streaming service. We can maximize its benefits by creating video content that empowers people to start discussions because only then will video content become SEO friendly. That means people will share it, recommend it to their friends, monetize their content and the list goes on.

Before Uptime becomes bigger in that it becomes an SEO-centric service that we will have to rely on, I recommend working on your video content creation skills. I actually wrote a YouTube Content Creator guide that became popular with my readers and I think that this is more helpful now more than ever.

What are your thoughts on Uptime? Do you think it will become as big as I hope it can get? Let’s talk about it in the comments section below.