The new updates include AI-powered video upscaling, QR code shopping links, and enhanced search and discovery tools, all aimed at improving the large-screen viewing experience.

The changes arrive as YouTube continues to dominate streaming viewership, accounting for 12.4 per cent of total US TV screen time — more than Netflix, Disney, and Paramount combined, according to research firm Nielsen.

One of the most notable additions is shoppable QR codes, which let creators tag items in their videos so viewers can scan them with their phones to access product pages instantly.

YouTube says the feature is part of a broader push to integrate commerce directly into video content, building on the 35 billion hours of shopping-related videos watched on the platform in the past year. The company also reported a 45 per cent year-on-year increase in creators earning six figures or more from TV-based viewership.

YouTube is also testing the ability to display product links at specific moments in videos, helping creators time promotions to key points in their content.

Other updates target video quality and usability. The app now supports 4K-resolution thumbnails, a major leap from the previous 2MB file limit, and is experimenting with larger uploads to support higher-quality videos.

Meanwhile, a new AI upscaling feature automatically enhances lower-resolution content on older videos to HD — with 4K upscaling on the way.

Viewers will also see smarter search results, with channel-specific searches now prioritising content from the channel being browsed.