Add Share Button with Auto-Copy Timestamp Feature for YouTube Videos

[fahadshahbaz]

⚬ PROBLEM:

I often find it inconvenient to manually note down or copy the timestamp of a specific moment in a YouTube video that I want to share with others. This process interrupts the flow of watching and sharing content.

⚬ SOLUTION:

I propose adding a "Share" button to the extension, which, when clicked, automatically copies the timestamp of the current moment in the video to the clipboard. This feature would streamline the process of sharing specific moments from YouTube videos with others.

⚬ ALTERNATIVES:

• One alternative could be manually typing or selecting the timestamp, but this is prone to errors and interrupts the viewing experience.
• Another alternative might be providing an option to manually adjust the timestamp before copying, but this could add complexity to the feature.

⚬ RELEVANCE / SCOPE:

This feature would benefit a wide range of users who frequently share YouTube videos with specific moments. I estimate that a significant portion of our user base, potentially around 50%, would find this feature useful.

⚬ SIDE EFFECTS:

There shouldn't be any conflicts with existing features, as adding a "Share" button with auto-copy timestamp functionality would enhance user experience without interfering with other features. However, some users who prefer not to share specific moments from videos may not use this feature.

⚬ CONTEXT:

This feature aligns with the goal of improving user experience and streamlining interactions within the YouTube environment. By providing a convenient way to share specific moments, users can engage more effectively with the content and each other.

Thank you!

SHORT Table	(Summary)
Problem	Difficulty in manually noting or copying video timestamps for sharing.
Solution	Add a "Share" button that auto-copies the current timestamp to the clipboard.
Alternatives	Manually typing or selecting timestamps, or adding an option for manual adjustment.
Scope	Estimated significant utility for around 50% of users.
Side effects	Minimal interference with existing features, potential disinterest from some users.
Context	Enhances user experience and promotes easier content sharing on YouTube.

[ObjectOrientedMindset]

Hi, I can work on this task if it hasn't been taken yet. I was thinking of saving the timestamp along with the video's URL for sharing convenience.

[ImprovedTube]

hi & thanks @fahadshahbaz @ObjectOrientedMindset

youtube's share dialog has this in the bottom:

• start at _:__
  • takes 3 clicks.
    • We can provide the same with just one click (or through pressing a keyboard key)

---

• And we can provide more:
• start at 60 seconds &stop at 70s: https://www.youtube.com/embed/_video_ID_?autoplay=1&end=70&start=60
• &loop=1&playlist=video_ID (Loop requires "a playlist", but one video ID is enough)
  ( So we can add both, a button to select a clip (or loop) (or our existing UI from our "Looper") ( mentioned in this to do list ) - and a button to share that as a youtube.com/embed URL (embed fills the full tab - and we can make a simple file on improvedtube.com where the embeddded player has similar position and size as on youtube.)
• And we can find (or write) more code , for a multi-range slider and write a key scene selector
  • Once we offer multi-range selection, we can actually add the features's code to improvedtube.com too, to allow sharing such multi-range playback with people, who don't have the extension installed. (like improvedtube.com/watch?v____ &start2 &end2 &start3
    • Same for ImprovedTube.com/watch?v=_____&most-viewed-only=10% )

[fahadshahbaz]

@ImprovedTube Thanks for breaking it down! It's awesome to see these enhancements. Simplifying with a single click or shortcut is exactly what I had in mind. Excited about the clip selection and multi-range slider too. Let's definitely look into integrating these.

[ObjectOrientedMindset]

@ImprovedTube Very exciting stuff indeed. I will look into all that!

[ImprovedTube]

🥰

[raszpl]

This functionality was always supported on YT, it takes 3 instead of 1 click, but its there.

1. click Share icon (arrow pointing right)
2. check checkbox next to Start at xxx
3. click Copy

[fahadshahbaz]

@raszpl Yes, I know this feature is already available and was the inspiration for the issue I opened. However, my suggestion aims to make it easier and quicker to share a URL with a timestamp by allowing it to be done with just one click.

[raszpl]

How about a shortcut? That would be trivial to implement.