The Verge
YouTube is changing how it counts views to give the numbers a boost
Monday, August 17, 2026
YouTube will count a view when a video begins playback starting August 24, 2026, matching the method used by Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts. The platform stated that creators will see total view counts increase more quickly under this system. Instagram and TikTok currently use the same counting method.
Original reporting: https://www.theverge.com/streaming/981105/youtube-video-view-counting-update