Jump ahead is a YouTube Premium button that skips you to the point in a video where most viewers stop fast-forwarding, usually past a long intro. Double-tap to fast forward on your phone, or hover over the progress bar on a computer, and tap Jump ahead when it appears.
YouTube already knows which bits of a video people skip, because millions of viewers drag the progress bar past them. Jump ahead turns that into a single button. Instead of tapping forward ten seconds at a time, you land where the crowd usually lands.
How to use Jump ahead
| Device | How to make the button appear |
|---|---|
| Android phone or tablet | Double-tap the video to fast forward, or press and hold it |
| iPhone or iPad | Double-tap the video to fast forward, or press and hold it |
| Computer | Hover your mouse over the progress bar, or press Ctrl and the right arrow (Windows) or Option and the right arrow (Mac) |
| Smart TV, streaming stick or console | Press the right arrow on your remote. A dot appears on the progress bar. Press right again to jump, then OK to confirm |
Once you see Jump ahead, tap or click it and the video moves straight to that point. If it lands somewhere you didn't want, tap back or press j on a computer to rewind ten seconds.
Who gets Jump ahead
It's a YouTube Premium feature. YouTube's Premium Lite plan doesn't include it, so if you're on Lite and can't find the button, that's why. You also need to be signed in to the account with the membership on the device you're using.
Why the Jump ahead button doesn't appear
Even with Premium, YouTube says the button may not show on every video. These are the reasons:
- The video's language isn't supported. YouTube lists Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Hindi, German, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Thai and Turkish.
- It's the wrong kind of video. Jump ahead doesn't work on Shorts, premieres, live streams, music, or movies and shows.
- There may be no clear skip point. The button points to where most users fast forward to, so a video people tend to watch straight through may not offer one.
- You're on Premium Lite or the wrong account. Check for the YouTube Premium logo at the top of the app.
- Your app needs updating. Update from your app store and try again.
Jump ahead vs most replayed vs chapters
YouTube has three ways to move around a video, and they answer different questions:
| Feature | What it shows | Who gets it |
|---|---|---|
| Jump ahead | Where most viewers stop fast-forwarding | Premium members |
| Most replayed | A graph above the progress bar showing the parts people rewatch most | Everyone, on eligible videos |
| Chapters | Sections the creator has labelled | Everyone, if the creator added them |
If you don't have Premium, most replayed is the free alternative. Start dragging the progress bar and a wavy graph appears above it. The peaks are the moments people rewatch, which often means that's where the good part starts. If you like discovering the player's hidden extras, YouTube ambient mode is another one most people never switch on knowingly.
Is Jump ahead accurate?
It's based on what other people do, not on what the video contains, so it's a good guess rather than a promise. On a tutorial it might skip the chat at the start and land on the first step. On a review it might skip straight past the part you wanted. Treat it as a shortcut for videos where you know there's padding at the start, and use chapters when the creator has added them, because chapters are the creator's own map.
A note for creators
If viewers can jump past your intro with one tap, a long intro now hurts you more than it used to. Get to the point quickly, and add chapters so viewers who want to skip go to a section you chose rather than one the crowd picked. Chapters also show up in search results, which helps people find the exact part of your video they need.
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Jump ahead and auto speed
Premium has a second time-saver that works alongside it. Auto speed, on the Android app for English videos, speeds playback up during slow stretches such as lengthy introductions and slows back down for the detailed parts. You turn it on from the Settings gear, under Playback speed. Jump ahead skips the padding in one go. Auto speed rushes through it while you still hear it. Neither works on Shorts, premieres, live streams, music, or movies and shows.
Jump ahead on TV
On a TV the button works a little differently. Press the right arrow on your remote while the video plays, and a dot appears on the progress bar showing the jump point. Press right again to move there, then press OK or Enter to confirm and carry on watching. If you only press right once, nothing jumps, which is why some people think it's broken on their TV.
My verdict
Jump ahead is one of the more useful Premium extras if you watch long videos, podcasts or tutorials, and it's easy to miss because it only appears when you start fast-forwarding. If it never shows, check you're not on Premium Lite, the video isn't a Short, music or a live stream, and that it's in one of the supported languages. For other ways to control playback, see how to turn off autoplay on YouTube.
Frequently asked questions
What does Jump ahead do on YouTube?
It skips you to the next point in a video where most viewers stop fast-forwarding. It's a YouTube Premium feature.
Why can't I see Jump ahead on YouTube?
You need Premium (Premium Lite doesn't include it), and it won't appear on Shorts, live streams, premieres, music, movies or videos in unsupported languages.
How do I use Jump ahead on YouTube TV apps?
Press the right arrow on your remote, then right again when the dot appears, then OK to confirm.
Is there a free version of Jump ahead?
Not exactly, but the most replayed graph above the progress bar shows everyone where viewers rewatch most.
