YouTube may be testing social app called Tamba
Code in an Android version points to followers, private messages and group chats, but Google has announced nothing.
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References have been found in YouTube’s Android app to an experimental project called Tamba. Analyses of the app point to social features such as followers, private messages and group chats, but there is no confirmation that Google will actually release the service.
The references were found in version 21.44.534 of the Android app. According to the analyses consulted, the code contains a separate sandbox name, a logo and dozens of icons. These elements may point to an independent experiment, but do not prove that a public product is in development.
The functions mentioned in the code appear to go beyond YouTube’s traditional video features. They include followers, follow requests, messages, group chats, photo and video sharing, and reactions that could potentially be combined with Shorts.
Tubefilter writes that Tamba could also be a test environment in which YouTube tries out new features before possibly introducing them into the existing app. The word sandbox supports that explanation. At the same time, according to Tubefilter, the presence of a separate test package suggests that the project may be more than just an internal trial.
As far as the sources consulted show, Google has made no official announcement and has not given a release date. It is therefore unknown whether Tamba will become available to a small test group, all YouTube users or not at all. It has also not been established what data the possible service would process.
The development fits the broader shift by video platforms towards social networks. YouTube already has features for messaging and community interaction, while Instagram and TikTok are offering increasing amounts of video and longer-form content. A separate social layer could help YouTube keep users within its own ecosystem for longer, but could also create additional moderation and privacy risks.
There is currently no new setting or obligation for users. A code discovery changes nothing about YouTube’s existing privacy terms. Only once Google announces a test or product will it be possible to assess which features actually exist and what data is collected in connection with them.
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Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The article sticks to what follows from app code and independent analyses, and makes clear that Google has confirmed nothing. Speculation about a future launch is described as a possibility, not as fact.
- confirmed References to Tamba have been found in Android version 21.44.534. — Clubic reports this based on an analysis by Android Authority; Tubefilter describes the same code discovery. source
- confirmed The code refers to followers, messages and group chats. — The features mentioned appear in both analyses. source
- uncertain Google has made no official announcement or given a release date. — The sources consulted contain no official confirmation; this is a conclusion based on the available public information. source
Editor's note
The code discovery and the features mentioned have been described by two technology publications. Google has not confirmed the project; its name, purpose and possible launch remain uncertain.Sources
More on this in Dutch media
- AD — „youtube tamba”
- de Volkskrant — „youtube tamba”
- RTL Nieuws — „youtube tamba”