YouTube Trials Reddit-Style Threaded Comments for Premium Subscribers.

YouTube is rolling out an experimental threaded comment interface reminiscent of Reddit’s nested replies to its Premium users on Android and iOS. The update aims to improve discussion clarity by visually connecting original comments with their responses. This version of YouTube’s comment stream remains active for Premium subscribers until August 14, giving YouTube time to assess its impact before considering a broader rollout.

Key Takeaway.

• YouTube is testing threaded comments with nested replies for Premium users on Android and iOS until August 14.
• The update aims to improve conversation clarity by visually linking original comments with their replies.

Previously, YouTube’s experimentation with threaded comments was limited to a small test group and represented early feedback. The new iteration, expanding to all Premium users, shows clearer visual cues linking main comments to replies and even replies-to-replies. This structure makes it easier for users to follow a conversation’s flow rather than scrolling through a flattened comment list.

Despite the improvements, user reactions are mixed. Some welcome the change, saying it brings “a 1000000% upgrade” to readability. Others question the need for such changes on a premium tier or feel the design lacks full Reddit-like thread cohesion, not extending to deeper branches of discussion.

Credit: YouTube/New

How to Enable Threaded Comments

Step 1: Subscribe to YouTube Premium – Ensure your account includes the Premium plan.

Step 2: Join the experiment – Go to Profile → Your Premium Benefits → Try experimental new features → Comment Threading.

Step 3: View threaded comments – Once enabled, open video comments on the Android or iOS app to see nested replies along with connecting thread indicators.

This streamlined process invites Premium users to help YouTube evaluate whether threaded comments enhance discourse or clutter the interface.

YouTube aims to learn from this limited trial and determine whether threaded comments should be widely deployed. Community input during the experiment phase will play a key role in future decisions. Other potential enhancements, like collapsing threads, deeper nested views, or extending the feature beyond Premium it might follow depending on user feedback and engagement data