IF YOU have an Android device, then you will lose access to YouTube Go in 2022.
Google is discontinuing its YouTube Go platform on Android devices beginning in August, the tech giant said in a statement on Tuesday.
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YouTube Go launched in 2016 as a derivative of the original YouTube app.
It provides users – especially those in locations where connectivity and data prices are an issue– with the ability to save videos for offline viewing.
However now, the service has been deemed unnecessary, as the main YouTube app “provides a better overall user experience” Google said.
The spin-off app is also limited in several features including the ability to comment, post, create content, and use the dark theme.
With regards to updates, YouTube Go has not been serviced since 2021.
Meanwhile, the official YouTube app has seen major improvements that enable it to perform better and deliver an enhanced user experience.
“Specifically, we have improved performance for entry-level devices or those that watch YouTube on slower networks,” Google said.
“We’re also building out additional user controls that help to decrease mobile data usage for viewers with limited data,” the company added.
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Still, more than 500 million users have YouTube Go installed on their devices, according to Best Life Online.
That’s a lot of people who may be upset at the loss of the service, however, Google is not leaving its users without an option.
The tech goliath recommended that YouTube Go users install the main YouTube app or visit ‘YouTube.com’ in their browsers.
“Using the main YouTube app, YouTube Go users will be able to participate in creation and community and have access to an overall improved user experience,” Google said.
The Alphabet-owned company features several other ‘Go’ versions of its apps, including Android Go, Gmail Go, and Maps Go.
It’s unclear at this time whether those services will be impacted by the discontinuation of YouTube Go.
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