YouTube Music for Android Gets Dedicated Widget, iOS Update Brings Siri Support, PWA for Desktops Debuts Too

YouTube Music for Android has been updated to version 3.39. The latest YouTube Music update brings support for a widget. This means users can add a YouTube Music widget on their homescreen after installing the latest version. Separately, YouTube Music has been spotted bringing a Progressive Web App (PWA) for desktops with the ability to control music playback using the media shortcuts of the connected keyboard. YouTube Music for iOS has also been updated to version 3.39 with the ability to control your music directly using Siri -- similar to how apps such as Apple Music and Spotify leverage Apple's digital assistant.

The updated YouTube Music for Android (v3.39) brings the dedicated 4x1 widget that you can place on your homescreen. The widget offers you easy access to your favourite audio available on YouTube Music.

You can view the album art as well as see the name of the active track directly from the widget. Similarly, there are buttons for thumbs down, previous, play/ pause, next, and thumbs up. The YouTube Music widget also changes the colour to match your album art. Overall, it provides all the basic controls that you need while playing back your audio, without accessing the YouTube Music app on the screen.

The widget is available through the YouTube Music app version 3.39, as spotted by XDA Developers. Moreover, the updated app is available for download through Google Play.

Aside from the updated YouTube Music for Android, YouTube Music on desktops have received the PWA (Progressive Web App) version that is currently rolling out for select users. It provides access to the YouTube Music service directly to your desktop, without requiring you visit its Web version from the browser. Similarly, the PWA version supports media keyboard shortcuts, as reported by 9to5Google.

The interface available through the PWA version of YouTube Music looks identical to what it has on its website. However, being a PWA, it can be placed on your Windows desktop or macOS dock. You can also leverage its support for media keyboard shortcuts to play/ pause or move forward/ backward the active track simply using the media keys from your connected keyboard. Further, you can tap to slide up full-screen controls.

YouTube Music PWA version brings user interface identical to what was earlier provided on its website

Google is initially rolling out the PWA version for some users. However, you can get the new experience by generating the PWA version of the YouTube Music website by going to More Tools > Create Shortcut after pressing the three-dot menu button from the top-right corner of your latest Chrome browser. You'll see a pop-up screen on top of your address bar from where you need to tap Open as Window option and then hit the Save button. This will bring the PWA to your desktop instantly.

Additionally, YouTube Music has been updated on iOS to version 3.39 that brings support for controlling the music using Siri. Apps such as Apple Music and Spotify are offering a similar experience on iOS for some time. Also, you can use Siri directly from your iPhone or CarPlay-enabled in-car infotainment system to control your favourite tracks on YouTube Music.

The changelog provided by Google also highlights that the latest YouTube Music version for iOS devices brings some bug fixes and performance improvements.

You can download the updated app on your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad directly from the App Store. It is compatible with devices running at least iOS 10.0 and is 227.7MB in size.