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Google rolls out its ‘offline first’ YouTube Go app to 130 countries
Watching YouTube videos can eat up a lot of data, which is a big problem in countries whose internet infrastructure has not kept up with mobile video streaming.
Google LLC has been working on solving this problem with its “offline first” YouTube Go app, but the app has only been available in a handful of countries for the last year. That’s about to change, as Google announced today that YouTube Go will now be available in more than 130 countries around the world.
Google said when it announced YouTube Go that it designed the app with four concepts in mind: “It’s relatable, with video recommendations and a user interface that is made for you. The app is designed to be offline first and work even when there’s low or no connectivity. It’s also cost-effective, providing transparency and reducing data usage. And finally, it’s a social experience, connecting you with the people and content you care about.”
YouTube Go offers a number of features that allow users to watch and share videos while using the least amount of data possible. For example, users can download YouTube videos to their device to watch them offline later, a feature that normally requires a $9.99-per-month YouTube Red subscription. YouTube Go lets users share their downloaded videos directly with nearby friends without having to use any data.
Google also added a few features to the app based on feedback from YouTube Go’s beta test in India and a few other countries. This includes the ability to share downloaded videos in a higher-quality format, as well as the ability to customize the content that appears on the app’s home screen.
YouTube Go shares a few similarities with Facebook Inc.’s “Free Basics,” a platform for lightweight version of apps that can run on older phones with minimal data plans. Like Free Basics, YouTube Go is not available in countries with well-developed internet infrastructures such as the U.S. or Canada, and it probably never will be. Google said today that YouTube Go will “unlock the power of YouTube for the next generation of users,” but what the company could also say that it will unlock the next generation of users for YouTube.
Photo: Google
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