YouTube is testing a new 'Previews' feature for mobile users that aims to help discover videos through short clips. The feature appears as an entry card on the homepage, offering five to 10 previews from videos already recommended to users. After watching a preview, users can choose to watch the full video, save it for later, or explore related content.

This test runs with a small percentage of mobile app users, though YouTube hasn't detailed how these previews will look. They could resemble quick landscape snippets or follow a Shorts-style format. The company suggests these previews will showcase 'short, engaging moments' from recommended content, potentially helping users navigate misinformation or misleading thumbnails.

Android Authority speculates this could be YouTube's strategy to increase user engagement within the app. The feature bears some similarity to existing hover previews on desktop and mobile, where videos start playing silently when you hover over them. However, YouTube's new test appears to be a more deliberate discovery tool rather than just a quick preview mechanism.