YouTube Instant: The 2010 Real-Time YouTube Search and What to Use Now
YouTube Instant was a tiny web app from September 2010 that searched YouTube as you typed and started playing the best match straight away. This article recalls what it was, who built it, and the fastest ways to find and watch YouTube videos today.
Quick answer: YouTube Instant was a real-time YouTube search built in a few hours by Stanford student Feross Aboukhadijeh after Google launched Google Instant. It went viral and YouTube’s CEO offered him a job over Twitter. Today YouTube’s own search suggestions, keyboard shortcuts and browser site search give you most of that speed.
Table of Contents
What was YouTube Instant?
How fast can you find and watch a YouTube video? In 2010, YouTube Instant promised to be the fastest way: you typed a few letters and a video began playing before you even pressed Enter, with a few other matches shown below it.
It was built on the YouTube API and YouTube search suggestions. You could not pause, seek or embed from the app itself, but a YouTube button took you to the full video page. It worked in a jiffy and was a perfect time waster.
Built in a few hours on a bet
YouTube Instant was the creation of Feross Aboukhadijeh, then a computer science student at Stanford University. Right after Google launched Google Instant, he made a bet with his roommate and built a real-time YouTube search in about three hours.
The buzz was huge. YouTube CEO Chad Hurley offered Feross a job, over Twitter, and Feross became one of the web celebrities of that month.
Is YouTube Instant still around?
The ytinstant.com domain still shows the old project page, but it is a 2010 experiment and you should not rely on it today. The good news is that you no longer need it: YouTube and modern browsers have built most of its speed into everyday tools.
Faster ways to search and watch YouTube today
1. Use YouTube search suggestions
Start typing in the search box on YouTube and suggestions appear as you type. Pick one with the arrow keys and press Enter, which is close to the YouTube Instant experience.
2. Search YouTube from the browser address bar
Most browsers let you search a site directly from the address bar. In Chrome you can set up YouTube as a site search shortcut, so you type a short keyword, then your query, and land on the YouTube results page. See our guide to adding site search to Chrome, or adding a custom search engine to Firefox.
3. Learn the player keyboard shortcuts
Once a video is playing on a computer, a few keys save a lot of clicks:
- K: play or pause
- J / L: jump back or forward 10 seconds
- F: full screen
- M: mute or unmute
- Shift + ?: show the full list of shortcuts
4. Use the right tools
For playlists, parental controls and creator tools, see our roundup of the best YouTube tools.
Why YouTube Instant still matters
YouTube Instant showed how quickly a small side project can go viral when it lands at the right moment. A student saw Google Instant, asked “why not YouTube?”, built it over an evening, and got a job offer from the CEO within days. For developers, it remains a good reminder that a simple idea, shipped fast, can beat a big plan.
FAQ
Who created YouTube Instant?
Feross Aboukhadijeh, a Stanford computer science student, built it in September 2010.
How did YouTube Instant work?
It used the YouTube API and search suggestions to guess the video you wanted as you typed and played it immediately.
Does YouTube have an instant search now?
YouTube shows search suggestions as you type, but it does not auto-play a result before you choose it.
What is the fastest way to watch a YouTube video today?
Search from your browser’s address bar with a YouTube site search shortcut, pick a suggestion, then control playback with keyboard shortcuts like K, J and L.
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Very powerful article, thanks for sharing with us!
Yes I have used this tool…and really its more fast then youtube site.
I will surely prefer this over youtube always.
Well i think is late, okay let me give a try
Hey nice tip to watch youtube videos. I will try this from today..
Well I need some help from you if you got free time then reply me here or on my email id.
It is very good tips. I used this after reading this article.Thanks for sharing this article.
nicely written. many thanks for sharing this
Looking great, will give a try to it surely .
Youtube instant The first time when i read on your Blog.
Great Article to inform us about this thing.
Thanks..
I have heard first time of youtube instant. amazing :) thank for share :)
Yes very true. youtube instant searching is really amazing and super fast.
I have heard first time of youtube instant. amazing
dah
I have created another Youtube Instant Web Client, you can find it at: http://macs-framework.sourceforge.net/instant/ .With more features then the one on the current youtube instant site, you get all the default youtube controls of ( play, pause, full screen, resolution changer, volume control etc.) and shows the top 20 search results, It also has a checkbox to allow the video to play instantly or not. It uses some of the newer technologies so works best in Firefox like browsers but it should work on IE as well.
now a Facebook application on YouTube Instant :
YTInstant FB app
This is the third instant web tool post I’m reading today in your blog and must say this is also creative and works without any issue.. The only one which I didn’t find accurate is Image instant search..!!
Everything is getting instant today. I had 2 more instant tools, but stopped as it would have been a super instant front page.
Its a fun way to waste time.
looks good to me. I will surely try youtube instant. it will save my time