YouTube has announced a new comment moderation setting called “Pause,” which allows creators and moderators to temporarily prevent viewers from adding new comments while keeping existing comments on videos.
This new feature provides an alternative to turning off comments completely or manually reviewing each comment. The Pause option is available in the video-level comment settings in the upper right-hand corner of the comments panel on the watch page in the app or in YouTube Studio. When Pause is turned on, viewers can see that all comments have been paused, as well as existing published comments.
The Pause feature has been under experiment since October, and according to YouTube, the feedback from the experiment group has been positive. Users report feeling less overwhelmed by managing numerous comments and having “more flexibility.”
As part of the announcement, YouTube has also renamed some of its comment moderation settings to make them more direct and easier to understand. The new names include “On,” “None,” “Hold All,” and “Off.” Other settings, such as “Basic” and “Strict,” provide varying levels of comment moderation.
Furthermore, YouTube is testing a new feature that summarizes topics found in the comments.
