YouTube has announced that it will change how views are counted, which should result in higher view count totals.
YouTube counts views from the first frame starting Aug. 24, 2026, matching TikTok and Instagram. 'Engaged views' keeps the old standard for creators and marketers.
The change comes a year after YouTube applied the same approach to counting views on Shorts videos.
YouTube's view count change lands August 24. Public numbers climb from the first frame, but the bar that pays doubles in 2027.
The platform will start tracking views the same way across video formats.
YouTube is updating its view measurement system, now counting a view as soon as the first frame of a video begins to play.
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