YouTube Go, the data-efficient video streaming app by Google, is now expanding to over 130 countries across the world. The search giant had announced the lightweight app app as its offline-first YouTube access back in September 2016 and launched its first beta version in India in April last year. The prime aim of building YouTube Go is to give emerging markets features such as offline viewing and nearby sharing, and ultimately reach the next-generation smartphone users all around the globe.
Alongside its newest expansion, Google has brought a few new features to YouTube Go to make improve the video watching experience in situations with uneven or poor connectivity. The very first change is the ability to download, stream, and share videos in High Quality. This comes as an addition to the original basic and standard quality access. The new ability is especially useful if you have been connected to a high-speed Wi-Fi or data network. But it is worth noting here that preferring a video in High Quality will require more storage space than picking up its basic or standard quality version. Nevertheless, the new feature bridges the gap between the standard YouTube app and the YouTube Go app since a High-Quality video download option is already available on the former.
The YouTube Go app has additionally been upgraded to serve you with new personalised content right with a simple pull of the home screen. Similarly, the app will alert you whenever your favourite channels add new videos. Google has also improved the existing share nearby feature with an easier access than before, and with the option to share multiple videos at once.
"We've been working hard to build a YouTube app that works for you, with brand new features designed with your preferences, aspirations, and needs in mind. We can't wait to see what you can do with the power of YouTube in the palm of your hand," said Jay Akkad, Product Manager, YouTube, in a blog post.
If you're in a supported country, you can download YouTube Go by visiting Google Play. It comes in less than 10MB of size and supports devices running older Android versions, such as Jellybean.
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