YouTube introduces a new in-app messaging service

YouTube is slowly rolling out a new update that features an in-app messaging and sharing feature on both its Android and iOs apps. The new feature was apparently introduced to encourage users to share even more on the video streaming app. The messaging feature will be separate from the current comments and share tabs and its primary purpose will be internal sharing of videos as well as serve as a chat platform between friends and not an entire YouTube community.The YouTube mobile app update will also include a newly included Shared tab that displays all the videos shared as well as conversations. The chat app acts basically like any other messenger service, with the ability to text and add emoji, in addition to creating and adding friends to groups, view your friends’ shared videos and even like comments. This basically means, you are now able to create a small community around particular videos that includes only your friends.What makes this new feature stand out even more, is the fact that the in-app messenger allows video replies to messages in conversations. This means rather than using words or a smiley face, you can just insert a YouTube video instead, by simply tapping the “search for video” option. This will be a useful feature especially because copying and pasting of links and having to switch from one app to another to share them will be totally unnecessary.Although the new feature has only been made available to a select few, they still have the option of inviting others by starting a conversation or sharing a video.If this feature catches on, then it would avoid the need of users having to leave the YouTube to access third-party chat apps like Facebook’s Messenger or Google+. Additionally, it would ensure that YouTube remains on top as the best video-streaming app, squashing any existing rival apps.What are your thoughts on the new awesome YouTube messaging feature? Is it enough to make you stop using other chat services? Let us know in the comments below.