YouTube Shorts are now available in 100 countries globally

After a limited release in India late last year and a US beta at the start of 2021, YouTube is expanding the availability of Shorts, its TikTok competitor, to the than 100 countries. When the company first introduced the format, anyone could view a Short. However, only those in about two dozen countries could access the tools YouTube created for filming and editing Shorts. With today’s announcement, the company is making those tools widely available, meaning you’re likely to see more and more of the clips appear on the platform.

YouTube’s embrace of short-form videos comes just as TikTok itself becomes a bit more like YouTube. At the start of July, the company, following months of testing, gave all of its users the ability to record clips up to three minutes long. In dropping its 60-second limit, TikTok said its goal was to give creators more flexibility, especially for those making cooking and beauty tutorials.