YouTube is implementing a new feature that Automatically pause ads during live streams when chat activity peaks. The update was announced in a Google blog post and is accompanied by other improvements for creators and viewers.
This ad pause feature only works if automatic ads are enabled on a stream. When the system detects high chat engagement, it temporarily suspends ads for all viewers during those busy times. Broadcasters do not need to take any manual action for this to happen.
Ad-free Windows and expanded gift delivery for YouTube Live
A new ad-free window is being introduced for viewers who send a Super Chat, Super Sticker, or Gift during a stream. This window opens automatically immediately after purchase, ensuring the stream continues without interruptions from ads. The feature will be automatically available to creators who have automatic ads enabled once it rolls out.
Viewers can now send gifts during horizontal live streams, as well as vertical ones, from mobile devices. Gift sending support is expanding to creators in Canada, South Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, Australia, and New Zealand. YouTube says it is working to bring gifting options to more countries and plans to introduce region-specific gifts tied to local holidays and events.
Simultaneous vertical and horizontal live broadcasts
YouTube is introducing a new feature that allows users to live stream in portrait and landscape formats at the same time. Viewers share a single chat regardless of the format they are watching. Plans for additional tools are set for later in 2026, including vertical crop layouts in Live Studio and support for multiple streaming keys to send separate custom feeds for each format.
The company has not announced specific dates for the upcoming ad-free shopping feature or the new streaming tools that allow multiple streams at the same time, only that both are expected in the coming months.
