YouTube Prepares Many Updates in 2026 for Creators and Viewers

YouTube CEO Nael Mohan. (Photo: YouTube) 

JAKARTA - YouTube CEO Nael Mohan revealed the company's strategic plan in 2026, which will bring many updates for all creators and users.

First, YouTube will further encourage creators as the center of the entertainment industry. Creators are no longer seen as content creators, but rather producers of shows with television-equivalent quality.

"When creators take control of their own production and distribution, the only limit is their imagination," Mohan wrote on YouTube's official blog on Thursday, January 22.

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Second, because the short video platform YouTube Shorts now records an average of 200 billion views per day, this year, YouTube will add new formats such as direct image uploads to the Shorts feed.

Then, YouTube will launch a customizable multiview feature, as well as introduce more than 10 special subscription packages that include sports, entertainment, and news.

Mohan also said that in the future, YouTube monetization will be strengthened through in-app live shopping features, fan donations, and ease of cooperation with brands.

As for users, later they will be able to buy products recommended by creators without having to leave the YouTube application.

Furthermore, to answer the increasingly massive use of AI, by 2026, creators can create Shorts using their own faces, create games through text commands, to experiment with music, using the AI available on YouTube.

Not to forget, YouTube will also label AI content, remove harmful deepfakes, and strengthen the system to suppress low-quality AI content or spam.

"Ultimately, our focus is on ensuring that AI serves the people who make YouTube great: creators, artists, partners, and billions of viewers," he said.