YouTuber MrBeast, real name Jimmy Donaldson, and his executives at Beast Industries are considering giving fans the opportunity to own shares in the company, according to recent statements from CEO Jeff Housenbold.

Fan ownership of the company

At the 2025 DealBook Summit, Housenbold mentioned the possibility of an initial public offering (IPO) that could include an allocation for fans. “At some point, we want to be able to give the 1.4 billion unique people around the world who watched MrBeast’s content in the last 90 days a chance to be owners of the company.”

Beast Industries, which spans content production, snack brand Feastables, media ventures and other consumer projects, has been valued around US $5 billion in recent investor materials.

No official timeline has been disclosed for when, or if, shares will be offered to fans. Housenbold described the fan-ownership idea as a long-term goal.

MrBeast’s business ventures

Over the past several years, MrBeast has broadened his operations far beyond YouTube videos. His company now includes Beast Industries, a multi-division enterprise spanning content production, consumer products and branded partnerships. The snack company Feastables, launched in 2022, has grown into major U.S. retail chains and international markets. He previously introduced MrBeast Burger, a virtual restaurant brand that saw rapid expansion before shifting to a smaller footprint amid legal disputes. In 2024 and 2025, MrBeast began pursuing large-scale physical ventures, including real-world events and temporary attractions.

Image courtesy: MrBeast

Marques Brownlee’s wallpaper app “Albums,” launched in collaboration with developer Jack McCauley, will close in early 2026. The team announced the decision on social media, stating that ongoing operational challenges and the cost of maintaining the platform made long-term sustainability difficult.

Why the app failed

Albums debuted in late 2024 with a straightforward concept; users could create and share minimalist iPhone home-screen layouts that integrated album artwork from Apple Music or Spotify. The app gained early traction, boosted in part by Brownlee’s visibility as one of YouTube’s most recognized tech reviewers.

However, Albums faced criticism soon after launch. Some users argued the app offered limited functionality compared to existing wallpaper or widget tools, while others questioned the subscription model for features centered mostly on aesthetic customization. The developers later introduced a one-time purchase option, but noted that revenue still did not offset the server, licensing and maintenance requirements needed to keep the app running.

In a public statement, McCauley explained that the team explored various adjustments, including pricing changes, feature updates and infrastructure shifts, but concluded that the app was not positioned for long-term viability. He added that the decision was not tied to any external disputes and emphasized appreciation for users who supported the project.

Users who previously purchased Albums will retain access until the shutdown date, which has not yet been finalized. The developers noted that the app will continue functioning normally in the meantime, and that further communication will be shared before the service fully winds down.

The closure marks the end of a short run for one of the more high-profile creator-backed app launches of recent years. While Brownlee has not indicated whether he plans to pursue future software projects, the shutdown shows that sustaining small-scale consumer apps can be challenging even when launched by prominent online personalities.

Image courtesy: Marques Brownlee

YouTube is testing a new tool designed to give users more control over their recommendations by allowing them to remove videos they don’t want to see from their home feed. The update aims to reduce clutter and increase relevancy for individual viewers.

How the feature works

Under the new trial, users may see an option to remove specific videos from their suggestions directly on the Home tab, rather than just using “Not interested” or “Don’t recommend channel.” The idea is to give people a more direct way to clean up their feed when the algorithm’s recommendations are off-target.

This feature is YouTube’s response to criticism regarding its algorithm, which can surface content that does not align with users’ interests. Some long-time users have described their home feeds as cluttered or irrelevant.

Changing the viewing experience

The feature gives users greater control over what they see, potentially improving satisfaction by reducing unwanted content. Instead of passively relying on viewing history or watch patterns to shape the feed, viewers can now take an active role in curating it.

Because the feature is in testing, not all users will see it immediately. It remains to be seen how well it performs in terms of accurately preventing unwanted recommendations.

YouTube is expanding its prepublish checks tool so that it now warns creators about potential violations of Community Guidelines before videos go live. The update aims to help reduce unexpected strikes or removals by flagging problematic content early in the upload process.

Broader screening before publishing

Launched in 2021, YouTube’s prepublish checks originally scanned uploads for issues like copyright infringement and ad-suitability concerns. The newly expanded version now includes checks for content that may violate Community Guidelines, such as hate, harassment, graphic content or other disallowed material.

When creators upload a video, the system runs analysis automatically. If it detects potential problems, YouTube displays a warning, allowing creators to review or edit the video before it becomes public. The feature acts as a preventive measure, rather than waiting for user reports or algorithmic detection after publishing.

“To help you avoid the frustration of a removal or strike, we’ve been testing a new feature that checks for some Community Guidelines violations in the video upload flow, similar to Copyright and Advertiser-friendly Guidelines checks,” YouTube wrote on its blog post.

Early testing phase

The feature is still in a testing period, and not all creators will see the updated options yet. YouTube acknowledges that some errors are inevitable, which may lead to false positives or missed issues. Even so, the early-warning approach could help creators avoid penalties they did not realize they were at risk of triggering.

While the system is meant to catch a wider range of issues, YouTube notes that it is not comprehensive; some violations may still go undetected. The update is intended to assist creators, but not replace the need to remain familiar with platform policies.

YouTube has begun testing an in-app direct messaging feature that allows users to share videos and chat about them within the mobile app. The experiment is currently active for users aged 18 and over in Ireland and Poland.

Details of the feature

According to YouTube’s support documentation, the new messaging feature lets users share long-form videos, Shorts, and live streams and engage in one-on-one chats without leaving the YouTube environment. To start a conversation, a user must invite another user and await approval. Recipients can decline invites and have the option to block or report chats.

YouTube emphasizes that messages will be subject to the same Community Guidelines as other content on the platform, and that automated systems may review message content for policy violations such as harassment or harmful material.

YouTube is reintroducing direct messaging

The company noted this test responds to what it described as a “top feature request” from its community. YouTube originally offered direct-messaging tools but discontinued them in 2019 while shifting focus toward public discussions and comment threads. The platform said maintaining the feature diverted resources from core communication tools, leading to its discontinuation after six years of availability.

Reintroducing the feature may be driven by other platforms like Instagram and TikTok, which have integrated stronger messaging and social features. The feature’s current rollout is limited in region and age eligibility, and YouTube has not announced a broader global rollout timeline.