Google has announced its decision to discontinue YouTube Stories, a popular feature on the video-sharing platform which has been available since 2017. The company released an official statement through the YouTube Help Community, announcing that the feature will be terminated on June 26.
YouTube stories, which was inspired by Snapchat-style videos, used to offer a platform for creators to share short videos that are accessible only for a single day. It was an alternative way to engage with subscribers as opposed to regular content on the site.
The stories lacked influencer integration, a self-advertiser, automatic international rollouts, and a deep pool of analytics data, which may have contributed to the decision of discontinuing it.
Google declared YouTube Story creators could not publish fresh YouTube Stories from that date onward, however, those Stories that have been previously posted on YouTube will stay available for seven days subsequent to when they were initially disclosed.
“If you’re looking to post lightweight updates, initiate conversations, or promote your YouTube content among your followers, YouTube Community posts are an excellent option,” wrote YouTube community manager Meaghan Sullivan.
In 2017, YouTube launched Stories, featuring similar functions to those of Snapchat, allowing for the posting of brief videos for a week’s time. Originally named YouTube Reels, the format was changed to Stories in 2018.
