Have you ever searched for a 10 second fast rewind and fast forward button in the YouTube app for iPhone, Android, or iPad? There are no visible buttons, but there is a hidden trick. It also works on Netflix, Hulu, Disney +, and many other video apps.
Take ten seconds back or forth on YouTube.
In the YouTube app, double-tap anywhere on the left half of the video while it is rewinding, or double-tap anywhere on the right half of the image to move forward. Each time you double-tap, YouTube will search 10 seconds forward or backward.
Keep tapping to move forward or forward. For example, if you tap the left half of a video three times, YouTube will go back 20 seconds. If you tap the right half of the video four times, YouTube will move 30 seconds. YouTube will show you how fast it is forwarding or rewinding on the screen.
The search bar at the bottom of the video is a useful way to scroll through a long video. But, once you get to the right place, you can do a few taps to make quick adjustments.
On a computer with a keyboard, you press J and L keys using YouTube and fast forward for 10 seconds. YouTube Coffee supports keyboard shortcuts.
Netflix, Hulu, HBO Now, Disney +, and more.
This trick is especially useful in the YouTube app, as YouTube does not offer visible “go back” and “go back” buttons. But it works in many video apps on your phone. Even with the buttons that appear in apps, double-tapping on this larger video player instead of tapping on the smaller buttons can make it easier to scam through video.
Here are some apps that work in:
- Netflix: Double-tap the left or right side of the video when it is running 10 seconds to search backwards or forwards, just as you would normally tap the forward or backward buttons in Netflix.
- Hulu: In Hulu, the buttons move back 10 seconds and forward 30 seconds. Double tap on the left side of the screen to go back 10 seconds, or double tap on the right side to jump 30 seconds forward.
- Disney +: Double tap on the left or right side of the screen to go back and forth 10 seconds.
Unfortunately, this does not work in the HBO Now app. The app has buttons for 10 seconds back and 10 seconds forward, so you can tap them instead. Most apps have those visible buttons. The YouTube app hides these buttons, and that’s very unusual.
We haven’t tried this trick in every single app out there, but it’s a common trick that certainly works in many, many video players. It’s worth a try whenever you’re watching videos on your phone or tablet.
Unfortunately, this doesn’t seem to work in browsers like Safari on iPhone and iPad and Google Chrome on Android.