San Francisco: Video-streaming platform YouTube has announced that YouTube Go, designed for offline videos, will no longer be available for users beginning in August.
YouTube Go allows users to save videos for offline viewing, giving options over quality and file size so it is clear how much data a download will use. The app also allows for local sharing with nearby users without using any data.
“Today, we are announcing that YouTube Go will be sunsetted beginning in August. To access YouTube, we recommend that YouTube Go users install the main YouTube app or visit youtube.com in their browsers,” the company said in a support page.
The company said that in comparison with YouTube Go, the main YouTube app provides a better overall user experience as well as offers features that are not available on YouTube Go that many have asked for, such as the ability to comment, post, create content and use the dark theme.
YouTube Go was launched in December 2016 for viewers in locations where connectivity, data prices, and low-end devices prevented users from delivering the best experience in the main YouTube app.
“Since then, YouTube has invested in improvements to the main YouTube app that make it perform better in these environments, while also delivering a better user experience which is inclusive of our entire community,” the company said.
“Specifically, we have improved performance for entry-level devices or those that watch YouTube on slower networks. We are also building out additional user controls that help to decrease mobile data usage for viewers with limited data,” it added.