YouTube has announced plans to change how it counts public views across the platform, and this will affect creators worldwide, including Kenyans.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

The changes will take effect from August 24 and will mean that the new system will allow views to be counted the very moment a video starts playing, right from the first frame it loads on screen.

This is a major departure from how YouTube has traditionally measured views for long-form content and live streams on the platform.

“Now, we’re aligning all other video formats to this same standard for consistency across the platform. Beginning on 8/24/2026, a view will be counted the moment a video begins to play, from the very first frame. This standard will now apply globally across all formats,” YouTube stated.

📌 What You Need to Know

Previously, longer videos required viewers to watch for a set period before a view was recorded, unlike the looser standard used for  Shorts .

Now, all video formats will follow the same counting standard that  Shorts adopted last year, creating consistency across the entire platform.

YouTube says the move responds to creator feedback, since many wanted a simpler way to understand their real audience reach and exposure, since the previous system, which incorporated multiple counting systems across formats, had created confusion for creators trying to track and compare their performance over time.

On monetisation, YouTube has clarified that creator earnings will remain untouched by this update, with payments still calculated using the existing engaged metrics rather than the new view count.

Specifically, earnings will continue to be based on "Engaged Shorts views" and "Engaged Watch Hours," both of which creators can still track through YouTube Analytics under the Advanced Mode section.

“This change will not impact creators’ earnings or how they become eligible for the YouTube Partner Program (YPP). Creator earnings will continue to be based on ”Engaged Shorts views” and “Engaged Watch Hours,” which you can view in YouTube Analytics > Advanced Mode,” YouTube stated.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke