YouTube updates the view counting system for Shorts: a view will be counted even in a second

YouTube has announced important changes to the way it counts views for Shorts. Starting from 31 March 2025, views will be recorded not by the time of viewing, but by the fact that the video is launched or replayed.

Here's What We Know

This means that even a short opening of a video or a quick swipe to the next video will be counted as a view.

Previously, the system only counted a view if the viewer watched a certain number of seconds. This could distort statistics and create an unequal playing field for content creators. For example, shorter videos could get fewer credited views, even if they were watched by many people.

Now, YouTube is changing its approach to give creators a more accurate picture of how many times their content has been played. At the same time, the platform is not abandoning the engagement metric. In the advanced analytics settings, there will be a separate indicator of "engaged views" to help creators assess how well their videos are really holding the attention of viewers.

These changes come on the heels of other updates to Shorts. In particular, YouTube recently expanded the video length limit to three minutes, allowing creators to create more diverse content.

In all 20 years of its existence, YouTube has never offered users the ability to choose the sound quality, but this may soon change.

Android Authority reported that Google is testing such an option, and it will work separately from the video quality selection:

Source: Google