YouTube Go — the simplest version of YouTube — was announced at Google for India in September 2016, and the app had been available in Beta since then. Google has been working on this lightweight version of YouTube for mobile devices for quite a long time.
The final version of YouTube Go has now been published in the Google Play Store, so everyone can download it and give it a try.
The app doesn't seem to be available in all countries, which is not at all surprising since the reason for its existence is to give users in select countries a better YouTube experience.
It is meant for users who don't have access to fast internet service. This new app allows users to download videos and store them on their phone's memory or SD card for later viewing. The idea behind the app is offline-first.
YouTube Go boasts some interesting features like improved recommendations, video preview before watching, sharing videos via Wi-Fi Direct if the receiver, and more. YouTube Go also gives a privilege of choosing the resolution of the video before saving.
Google aimed YouTube Go at those users who are unable to access high-speed internet and 4G smartphones. That's the reason why Google built this app for devices running on Android 4.1 Jellybean and newer.
According to YouTube, the app has been built keeping four concepts in mind:
Relatable – video recommendations and a user interface made for the user
Offline first – also works when there's low or no connectivity
Cost-effective – providing transparency and reducing data usage
Social experience – connecting you with the people and content you care about
You can download YouTube Go if you are in countries like India and Indonesia. Google is yet to make it available in more countries, where it will come in the coming weeks.
