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Every year, YouTube outlines its priorities, and the 2026 edition previews what product updates to expect. 

Netflix announced that an upcoming app update will ensure users are more engaged than ever. Its solution is adding TikTok-style videos to the Android and iOS apps so you can doomscroll, then binge-watch.

YouTube videos have long supported the custom SRV3 caption format, which creators have been using in pretty creative ways. Apparently, that format has been disabled, and some are reporting that uploaded caption files are being deleted from videos.

If you’ve spent the last month wondering why Netflix suddenly decided to end support for Google Cast on its service, you’re not alone. Now, a new report suggests the reasoning behind the move might be the most obvious.

Google is finally giving users the option to change their Gmail address without deleting their account or making a new one, and it’s so easy to do.

Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses have taken the world by storm over the past few years, but they’re pretty limited in terms of what they can actually do. The new “Mentra Live” smart glasses offer a lot of the same benefits as Ray-Ban Meta, but with an app store and more integrations, including support for YouTube livestreams.

The beloved show that’s been around longer than most of us is finding a new streaming option to immortalize itself. Sesame Street will be available on YouTube and YouTube Kids.

Shopping appears to be one of the big pushes for AI in 2026, and Google is giving Gemini about as large as a boost as it could in this arena thanks to a new partnership with Walmart.

Samsung is rolling out new wallpapers and themes for Stranger Things fans, though the additions seem to be locked behind a Netflix download.

YouTube is rolling out updates to its video search filters that include renames, removals, and other adjustments. These changes aim to “align better with your expectations.”

2026 could be a blockbuster year for Google after some serious success across almost all areas in 2025. What should and could we expect? Here are a few early-year thoughts and expectations.

On a Google support page, the company says it is rolling out a new option to let users change their email address even if it is an “@gmail.com” address.

YouTube announced Playables in 2023 as lightweight games that could be accessed on the platform. The new Gemini 3-powered YouTube Playables Builder lets anyone build a game without any coding experience.

Google’s parent company Alphabet has announced an acquisition of Intersect, a “data center and energy infrastructure” company that aims to provide additional support for building out its capacity for AI.

If you’ve noticed the dislike button missing from YouTube Shorts lately, you aren’t alone. Google is trying out some changes for how dislikes work on the platform, and it could make it easier to signal what you’re actually interested in.

Movies Anywhere was one of the unintended casualties faced during Google and Disney’s brief feud throughout October and November, but as promised, both Google Play and YouTube have returned to the movie syncing service.

Over the last few weeks of staggered rollouts, some users have gained access to Gemini for Home, which adds Google’s AI assistant to existing Nest devices. The upgrade seems to be breaking some automations, though.

After nearly 40 years of airing on ABC, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences have found a new home for the Oscars beginning in just a couple of years.

One of the lesser-known features that Google offers is a “Dark Web Report” monitoring tool, but it’s about to shut down in early 2026.

YouTube might feel at home on your smartphone or within your browser, but if you’re primarily digging into your subscriptions feed on the biggest, best display in your house, things might look a little different.

Disney announced a billion dollar agreement with OpenAI this morning over use of its characters, and Google’s going to have to pray it doesn’t alter the deal any further.

After launching the “Remix” tool in August in a server-side update, Google Photos is bringing the image-to-cartoon feature to more users in a much wider rollout.