YouTube now allows direct streaming on iOS, simpler live chats and more

Just a week after a makeover of sorts, YouTube is now updating its livestream function with a slew of new features including reduced latency, direct streaming on iOS, and new tools for easier chat moderation.

The ultra-low latency option bring down streaming video latency to just a couple of seconds, letting YouTube creators answer fan questions during a livestream and get viewer input faster than before. Notably, one doesn't require any special software or encoders to enable the feature, the company notes.

Next up are new chat moderation tools that allow streamers to moderate their chat feed by pressing and holding the “Alt/Option” button on their keyboard to pause chat. This makes it easier to moderate the comments – to either remove them or approve them with a click.

You can also opt-in to having questionable chat messages identified by YouTube’s moderation system. They will be held from posting on your streams, and you can decide whether to approve, hide, or report them (just like with comments).

There's a third option too that lets moderators share a hidden users list across comments and live chat, so they don’t have to double their efforts when handling bad actors. In the future, YouTube will make hides work both in live chat and comments at the same time, no matter where the action to hide the user first takes place, it says.

Now coming to the last update of direct streaming option from iOS. YouTube Gaming already leverages Apple’s ReplayKit to let you livestream directly from various iOS games. The feature is now coming to the main YouTube app for iPhone and iPad so you can livestream from within apps and games while using your phone’s microphone and front-facing camera to add your own video and audio commentary.