Doha: YouTube has announced the testing of a new feature aimed at reducing notification overload by halting instant alerts for channels users do not interact with regularly. Notifications will still appear in-app but will no longer be sent as instant alerts without recent engagement. According to Qatar News Agency, the platform aims to prevent users from entirely disabling notifications due to their volume, which negatively impacts interaction with the service. Content creators rely on notifications to reach viewers, though excessive alerts can prompt users to disable them altogether. Separately, YouTube revealed changes to its video view count system for Shorts. Effective March 31, views will be recorded upon playback or replay without requiring a minimum duration, unlike previous rules. While this adjustment will boost recorded view counts for creators, YouTube confirmed it will continue tracking interactive views based on actual watch time and assured the change will not affect earnings or eligibility fo r the YouTube Partner Program. This update aligns YouTube's view metrics with those of other platforms, offering creators a unified measure to evaluate content reach across platforms.