Google hadannounced a dedicated App named YouTube Go back in September 2016 for those residing in an area with low internet connectivity. That YouTube Go app is now live in India and is already available for download on Google Play Store. However, the app is still in beta and is only available for download as a part of Google’s early access programme.
The app will let you download or play most of the YouTube videos to your device but only in ‘Basic’ and ‘Standard’ quality. Also, a lot of features from the native YouTube app are missing such as the ability to swipe down the currently playing video and browse other content at the same time. However, the new YouTube Go app lets you preview videos before you download it.
Opening up the app, you will be asked to choose your preferred language among tonnes of Indian regional languages. Post that, you will be asked to enter your mobile number for one-time verification after which you will be also asked to log in or choose your current synced Google accounts. The mobile number verification also simplifies the whole process of sharing your videos with your friends later on.
Once you reach the home tab, you can browse through recommended videos or search for a specific YouTube video you want to download. On tapping a particular video, the app will automatically start displaying the preview and will ask you to either play or download the video. Apart from showing two options for video quality i.e. Basic and Standard, the app also displays the amount of memory it will take on your device.
Once downloaded, you can then navigate to the ‘Saved’ tab placed on the right where you can send and receive videos from your friends via Bluetooth.
While the app does miss out some features including different tabs for Trending, Subscriptions and Recommended, it can be hit amongst the people it is targeted to. Till then, what do you think about this new YouTube Go app?