Though YouTube remains the premier video site on the web, you probably don't think much about customizing information technology. But whether yous're a casual user or spotter online videos every day, there are all sorts of ways to tweak YouTube.

A major category of these are special YouTube link tricks. Let's look at some YouTube URL tricks to help you get more out of the service, like turning videos into GIFs.

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Copy Video URL Current Time

Normally, when yous copy a link to a YouTube video and open information technology, it starts from the kickoff. Just if you lot want to show someone a sure section of a video or skip a lengthy intro, you can append a timestamp to the URL to start information technology at that fourth dimension.

You can do this in a couple of means. Past manually calculation &t=YmXXs to the stop of a video URL, you'll gear up it to get-go Y minutes and XX seconds into the video. You can omit minutes, or apply but seconds, such as 90s for a minute and a half.

And then for case, this video:

          youtube.com/lookout man?v=Tt5ShaI5hW8

Tin be shared at two minutes into the video using this URL:

          youtube.com/watch?v=Tt5ShaI5hW8&t=120

If you lot don't want to use the manual method, pause the video at the time you lot'd like to share it at, then right-click and choose Copy video URL at current fourth dimension.

ii. Loop a Video Infinitely

YouTube Repeater Site

YouTube is a not bad identify for listening to music that you can't notice elsewhere, such as video game soundtracks for studying. If y'all're into a song and want to listen to it over and over, y'all tin add repeater after youtube in the URL.

This will open the video at YouTubeRepeater.com, which loops the video for you lot.

And then alter this URL:

          youtube.com/watch?v=shibvkpyb8E

To this to loop information technology:

          youtuberepeater.com/scout?v=shibvkpyb8E

Using the options below the video on the new page, y'all can change the start or terminate times for the video, if desired.

While we wanted to highlight the URL hack method, you tin also practice this natively on YouTube. Just right-click on YouTube video and toggle Loop on to proceed playing it.

3. Bypass Age Restrictions

YouTube Sign in Video Restricted

YouTube has historic period restrictions on certain videos flagged as containing mature content. Whether you don't accept a YouTube account or don't feel like signing in to watch i, you can perform a trivial trick to bypass signing in.

Take a YouTube URL for a restricted video like this:

          youtube.com/watch?v=wvZ6nB3cl1w

Now, add nsfw in front of the youtube function of the link, as shown here:

          nsfwyoutube.com/watch?v=wvZ6nB3cl1w

The video will open on a new site that features no age restriction. In example you still encounter the message most age restriction, click the hither to attempt another method text at the superlative of the page. This will load it on a new page that will hopefully play the video successfully.

4. Skip a Certain Amount of the Intro

Similar to the URL trick that lets you pick the start time of a video, you tin as well choose to skip a certain number of seconds at the start of the video. Y'all tin can't specify minutes with this one, then employ 90 (seconds) for a minute and a one-half.

And so to skip the first thirty seconds of this video:

          youtube.com/picket?5=M03bTkQxVUg

Add &start=thirty to the stop of the URL and go this:

          youtube.com/scout?v=M03bTkQxVUg&kickoff=30

This is similar to the timing one, simply is a bit faster to type and doesn't require you to remember a certain timestamp.

five. Merits a Custom YouTube Channel URL

YouTube Channel URL Options

If you have your own YouTube channel and meet sure requirements, you can set a vanity URL for your page. This is much easier to think than the default random cord of characters, then it'southward worth doing for easier linking on social media and other sites.

To get a custom URL, your aqueduct needs to run into the post-obit criteria:

  • Have at least 100 subscribers
  • Exist at to the lowest degree 30 days erstwhile
  • Accept an uploaded profile photo and aqueduct art

If y'all satisfy these, head to YouTube Studio past clicking your profile picture at the top-correct of YouTube and choosing YouTube Studio. On the left menu, click Customization, followed by Basic info at the peak.

On this page, under Channel URL, you lot'll run across your aqueduct's normal URL equally well equally the field to set a Custom URL, if you're eligible. Use this to pick your aqueduct's vanity URL.

You tin just take i custom URL at a time. If you already have one, you tin can't alter information technology, but you're immune to remove your current URL and create a new one, if it'due south available. This is simply an pick three times per yr, so don't change it too ofttimes.

Once your custom URL is set up, anyone can caput to youtube.com/[YourCustomURL] to visit your channel.

6. Spring Straight to Your YouTube Subscriptions

Many times, the suggestions offered by YouTube aren't useful. Whether your recommendations are filled with foreign content or the home folio contains videos you don't care almost, you lot can fix a improve YouTube landing folio.

When you're signed in, try changing your YouTube bookmark from the main homepage to your subscriptions page using this URL:

          youtube.com/feed/subscriptions

This lets you meet the newest videos from channels you subscribe to, and then y'all don't miss any of their new content. Thus, yous're in control of what you run across, instead of YouTube deciding for you.

7. Grab the Thumbnail of Any Video

Information technology'southward mutual when searching Google for images to run into pictures from YouTube videos, ordinarily titled maxresdefault. With a URL tweak, you can easily view a high-quality thumbnail for whatsoever YouTube video (if it has one) by visiting the following:

          img.youtube.com/vi/[VideoID]/maxresdefault.jpg

Replace the [VideoID] with the text after the v= at the end of a YouTube video. So to view the thumbnail for this video:

          youtube.com/sentinel?v=YMbm_SFJugQ

Visit this link:

          img.youtube.com/vi/YMbm_SFJugQ/maxresdefault.jpg

8. Make a GIF from a YouTube Video

Make GIF YouTube URL

Found a YouTube video that has a GIF-worthy moment? You can easily create an animated GIF from any office of a video by calculation gif earlier the YouTube link.

So to edit this video into a GIF:

          youtube.com/watch?v=gy1B3agGNxw

Alter the URL to this:

          gifyoutube.com/watch?v=gy1B3agGNxw

You'll be brought to gifs.com, where y'all can add a variety of effects and crop the GIF to your liking. Once washed, share the GIF to social networks with an easy link or download it for safekeeping.

Annotation that exceptionally long videos won't work with this service.

9. Mix Music From YouTube Videos

This one isn't a true URL hack, as y'all tin't visit information technology right from YouTube. However, it notwithstanding uses YouTube URLs, so we're including it. Visit YouTube DJ and you can add together two YouTube URLs to mix their music together. Use the controls to set shortcut points to different parts of the songs, and adjust the fading and speed as yous see fit.

If you've ever thought two music tracks would get together pretty well, this is the site for you!

Have More Fun With YouTube URL Tricks

These tricks will allow you go fifty-fifty more out of YouTube. Some are congenital into YouTube itself, while others rely on exterior services. It'south possible that any of these could finish working in the hereafter, so your mileage may vary as time passes.

While it's not a URL hack, did yous besides know that you can watch YouTube videos together with faraway friends?

Image Credit: Bloomicon/Shutterstock

How to Watch YouTube Videos Together With Friends: 7 Ways

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Ben Stegner (1810 Articles Published)

Ben is the Editor in Chief at MakeUseOf. He left his It chore to write full-fourth dimension in 2016 and has never looked back. He's been covering tech tutorials, video game recommendations, and more as a professional author for over 8 years.

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