YouTube may be building a separate social app called Tamba, according to code found in the YouTube Android app. Strings in version 21.44.534 describe followers, follow requests, direct messages, group chats and posts. None of this is announced. Android Authority found it in the app’s code, and it may never ship.
What YouTube’s Tamba app would change
On YouTube today, people subscribe to channels. There are no real private profiles, and nobody asks your permission before following you. The Tamba code points to a different model. Notification strings cover new followers, follow requests and approvals, which suggests profiles that can be locked.
The messaging side looks fuller than what the main app has now. The code mentions direct text messages and being added to group chats. It also covers accepted message requests, hearts on posts, and comment replies made with a voice note or a Short. Two internal labels suggest Shorts would play right inside Tamba chats and from its bottom bar.
A privacy question before sign-up
One string stands out. NOTIFICATION_TYPE_SANDBOX_PREONBOARD_NEW_FOLLOWER hints that someone could follow you before you’ve finished signing up. If that’s how it works, a social graph could start forming around your Google account before you’ve opted in to Tamba. That’s only a reading of a string name, though, and the final app could handle it differently.
A new follower network tied to the account behind your YouTube history is worth watching. We’d want clear controls over who can follow you, and whether you’re findable at all, before this launches.
Signs it’s a separate app
The package name is com.google.android.youtube.sandbox, and YouTube’s code treats it as its own app. Internally the project is called Project Sandbox. Client IDs named ANDROID_SANDBOX and IOS_SANDBOX suggest versions for both Android and iPhone. Android Authority notes that YouTube already has a separate package for internal test builds, so Tamba isn’t just that.
The branding is a Tamba wordmark next to a scribble-style mark with a play button cut out. The code also includes 38 hand-drawn-style icons labelled as experimental. Nobody knows yet what the name means, and it may be a placeholder.
Why YouTube might want it
The main YouTube app already has in-app private messaging. According to Android Authority, YouTube has said group chats are coming within the next few months. Tamba could be a testing ground for social features that later land in the main app. It also fits a wider fight with Instagram, which has been testing features aimed at YouTube.
Android Authority itself says it’s too early to know if or when Tamba will reach users. As of November 4, Google hasn’t commented publicly.
Source: Android Authority
This post was written with AI assistance from public sources and published under the editorial responsibility of AndroidPure’s editor. How we work.
