YouTube has published its final feature update round-up for 2025, and it’s a significant one. Rather than a single headline change, this update focuses on creator expression, monetisation, moderation, and AI-assisted content production.

Here’s a clean breakdown of what’s new and how each update could impact creators moving into 2026.

Voice Replies Are Rolling Out at Scale

Voice replies are no longer an experiment.

After limited testing in late 2024 and gradual expansion throughout 2025, YouTube is now opening voice replies to millions of creators. This allows channel owners to respond to comments with short voice notes instead of text.

Why this matters:

  • Adds personality and tone that text replies can’t convey

  • Makes creator–audience interactions feel more human

  • Encourages deeper engagement in comment threads

For creators building community and brand affinity, this is a subtle but powerful upgrade.

Smarter Control Over Auto-Dubbing

YouTube is also improving how auto-dubbing works for viewers.

A new language preference setting allows users to choose when they want dubbed audio and when they don’t. If a video includes the original language and a viewer’s preferred language, YouTube will default back to the original audio instead of forcing a dub.

This gives viewers more control and prevents unwanted or confusing audio translations, particularly for bilingual audiences.

The YouTube Create App Finally Comes to iOS

YouTube’s standalone Create app, previously Android-only, is now launching on iOS.

The app offers built-in editing tools designed specifically for YouTube creators, making it easier to:

  • Edit videos natively

  • Improve production quality without third-party software

  • Speed up short-form and long-form content workflows

For creators who edit on mobile, this adds another serious option to the toolkit.

Super Chat Goals Expand to Vertical Live Streams

Super Chat Goals, donation milestones that unlock creator rewards, are now available in vertical live streams.

This brings:

  • More interactivity to live content

  • Clear incentives for audience participation

  • Increased monetisation opportunities during live sessions

As vertical live streaming continues to grow, this update aligns monetisation with modern viewing habits.

Channel Guidelines Are Becoming the Norm

YouTube is expanding Channel Guidelines to all creators who have access to intermediate or advanced features.

Channel Guidelines let creators define acceptable behaviour in:

  • Comments

  • Live chats

  • Community posts

Viewers will see these rules:

  • The first time they interact with a channel

  • At the top of comment sections on supported platforms

This gives creators more control over tone, boundaries, and moderation, without relying purely on reactive moderation tools.

AI Image Creation Comes to Community Posts

Google is rolling out its latest generative AI image model internally referred to as Nano Banana to YouTube posts.

This allows creators to:

  • Edit or generate images via text prompts

  • Change backgrounds, outfits, hairstyles, or settings

  • Remove unwanted objects or visual distractions

The feature is currently limited to users aged 18+ in select countries (including the U.S., Canada, New Zealand, and India), but it signals a broader push toward AI-assisted creativity inside the platform itself.

AI-Suggested Shorts From Long-Form Videos

YouTube is also testing AI-generated suggestions for Shorts, pulled automatically from long-form content.

Initially limited to podcast playlists and creators in the U.S. and Canada, this feature:

  • Identifies moments suitable for short-form clips

  • Helps creators repurpose content faster

  • Supports growth in Shorts without manual editing

Given the reach and engagement Shorts now deliver, this could become one of the most valuable creator tools on the platform.

Comment Summaries Are Being Tested

Some videos will now display AI-generated comment summaries at the top of the comment section.

These summaries highlight:

  • Common questions

  • Key discussion themes

  • Viewer sentiment

The feature is enabled by default, but viewers must tap “Get summary” to see it and can simply ignore it if they prefer the full comment feed.

Subtle Changes to the Shorts Dislike Button

Finally, YouTube is experimenting with adjustments to the Dislike button on Shorts, aiming to reduce confusion around what the action actually represents.

Details are limited for now, but the goal appears to be better signalling rather than removing the feature.

The Bigger Picture

Taken together, YouTube’s final 2025 updates point clearly in one direction:

  • More creator expression

  • Stronger community control

  • Deeper monetisation hooks

  • AI embedded directly into everyday workflows

Rather than dramatic platform overhauls, YouTube is quietly refining how creators connect, create, and earn, setting the stage for a more interactive and AI-assisted creator economy in 2026.

If you’re building a serious presence on the platform, these are changes worth leaning into early.