Here's everything you need to know to use YouTube Shorts, the new TikTok competitor

After months of testing its TikTok competitor in India and a limited beta rollout in the states, YouTube is finally launching YouTube Shorts for everyone in the U.S.

So now you might be asking yourself...what is YouTube Shorts in the first place? And how do I use it? It's pretty easy once you get the hang of it, and it offers yet another way for you to connect with your favorite creators.

Allow Mashable to break it all down for you.

What is YouTube Shorts?

YouTube Shorts is basically the platform's attempt to take on TikTok, the hugely popular short-form video app. 

However, unlike TikTok, YouTube Shorts is not a standalone service. You won't find a YouTube Shorts app in the App Store or on Google Play. YouTube Shorts instead lives within the service's main mobile app. To use it, just open up the YouTube app you already have on your smartphone. Scroll down slightly, and you'll see a "Shorts" section. Read more...