YouTube has announced that it will be bidding farewell to its Stories feature, a temporary post format that was introduced in 2017. Starting from June 26th, users will no longer be able to create Stories, and any existing posts will automatically expire after a week. The decision comes as a result of the feature failing to gain significant traction among creators and limited accessibility for users. Originally known as Reels and only available to users with over 10,000 subscribers, YouTube’s Stories allowed creators to share updates and exclusive behind-the-scenes content to promote their channels. However, the feature struggled to garner regular usage and promotion, both by creators and the platform itself. In light of the discontinuation of Stories, YouTube is urging creators to explore alternative avenues for sharing content. Two prominent options include Community Posts and Shorts.
Community Posts, which have recently been expanded, allow creators to share text-based updates, polls, quizzes, images, and videos that can be set to expire after a specified period. These posts are showcased in a dedicated tab on the creators’ channels, providing an effective means of communication with their audience. Additionally, YouTube has been capitalizing on the popularity of short-form videos with its own TikTok competitor called Shorts.
The platform actively encourages creators to produce shorter content and even revamped its monetization plan, enabling creators to share ad revenue generated from Shorts. YouTube is not the first social media platform to discontinue its version of the Stories format. Twitter previously discontinued its ephemeral posts called Fleets after they failed to make a significant impact. As YouTube bids farewell to Stories, it is focusing on enhancing alternative content-sharing options for creators, particularly Community Posts and Shorts. These features offer creators more flexibility and opportunities to engage with their audience, further strengthening the platform’s position as a leading video-sharing platform.