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However, the platform has a function that changes the experience of those seeking to avoid not only external advertising, but also the promotional segments integrated into the videos themselves: it is about “Jump Ahead”, a tool designed to automatically skip the least viewed and most ignored parts by users.
Until now, many creators incorporated sponsor ads directly into their videos. These blocks, unlike traditional advertising, could not be blocked or removed, even for YouTube Premium subscribers. Therefore, although payment removed the ads inserted by YouTube, the internal promotional segments were still present, interrupting the viewing experience.
The "Skip" function uses the platform's intelligence and analysis of user behavior. YouTube displays a heat map on the progress bar of each video, indicating the most and least played moments. The new tool automatically detects the segments that most viewers usually skip, and offers the option to advance directly to the next most viewed part, with a single tap or click. We recommend reading: In practice, this means that, when a sponsored segment is presented — those that are usually skipped by the majority—, “Skip” allows you to avoid it effortlessly, almost always arriving at the instant when the main content of the video resumes its course.How to activate and use "Fast Forward" on different devices
The functionality is available on mobile phones, computers, and televisions, although its activation varies depending on the device:- On mobile: When watching a video and detecting a segment that is usually skipped, simply double-tap on the right side of the screen. If you are in the middle of a sponsored block, the "Skip" option will appear in the lower right corner; by tapping it, the video automatically advances to the next relevant part.
- On computers: During playback, simply press the right arrow key or the "L" key to fast forward. If the video is in a section identified as commonly skipped, the "Skip" button will appear, which can be activated before it disappears.
- On televisions: When using the remote control, you must press the right arrow to display the progress bar. If there is an identifiable segment, a white dot will appear on the bar. By pressing the right arrow again, you skip directly to the end of the segment, and the television displays the message "Skipping commonly skipped section".
Is it available in all videos?
Not all videos have the "Skip ahead" option. For the tool to work, YouTube needs enough information about viewers' behavior. This requires the video to be somewhat old and have a relevant volume of views to generate the heat map.
Therefore, recently uploaded videos, those with few views or live streams do not usually activate this function. However, most popular videos and those with a significant audience already have this option available.
