YouTube just got its own Google Opinion Rewards system for Premium users

Google has consistently and successfully delivered new features across so many different products and services, it gets confusing for us to keep track sometimes. The consistent improvement is largely thanks to a feedback loop from the end users, and the thousands of voluntary beta testers for some of our favorite apps and services. Google just decided to reward YouTube feature testers with gift cards in exchange for detailed insight.

Most beta testers can submit bug reports and feedback with accompanying device logs when testing a Google app. However, Google has a dedicated app called Opinion Rewards where you answer short quizzes about various services like your Maps history or Search juicer experience, and the company rewards each completed survey with a small amount of money. However, it is credited as Play Balance you can use only in the Play Store and other Google apps.

Google just introduced a new system for YouTube, where Premium subscribers can sign up to offer feedback on new YouTube features. If a study fits your profile, you’ll receive a questionnaire with all the steps required for completion. Once you complete the study, you’ll receive a gift card as a token of appreciation for the time you spent. This process is now outlined on the YouTube experimental features home page, where anyone can check on what’s cooking, but only Premium subscribers can test additions.

YouTube may have conducted similar feedback drives before

Interesting details emerge

If you’re experiencing déjà vu reading that, you might have seen a similar YouTube experiment in the past, where feedback was rewarded with gift cards of some form. However, smaller details like this often tend to fly under the radar, especially considering YouTube’s experiments were just in the news this week for a new Google One bundle.

That said, Google is still ambiguous about where the reward gift cards will be redeemable. We just hope they offer more flexibility than Play Store credit. YouTube’s commitment to keeping its feedback loop separate from the crowd of Google apps that use Opinion Rewards to poll users is a testament to its committed development efforts. We wouldn’t be surprised to find important new AI features in the app, since detailed feedback is usually sought only before major changes. For now, the sign-up process doesn’t seem geo-restricted, so we suggest you volunteer if you have Premium.