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Made-for-India app Youtube Go launched: A video app by Google that can play in slow or no internet

Google had announced its first made-for-India YouTube Go app in September 2016, and now six months later it has rolled out the same.

Google, however, claimed that the YouTube Go is not a lite version of the YouTube app, but a revamped version of it, designed specifically for markets like India, where slow internet connection is a reality.
Google, however, claimed that the YouTube Go is not a lite version of the YouTube app, but a revamped version of it, designed specifically for markets like India, where slow internet connection is a reality.

Google had announced its first made-for-India YouTube Go app in September 2016, and now six months later it has rolled out the same. The company had launched it in the 2nd edition of Google for India event. Google had brought the offline feature in 2014 in many countries including India. But this is the first time Google has created the app from scratch. The YouTube Go is basically a lite version of the YouTube app, that aims to consume fewer data, thus working better in areas with low connectivity. Google, however, claimed that the YouTube Go is not a lite version of the YouTube app, but a revamped version of it, designed specifically for markets like India, where slow internet connection is a reality. YouTube executives said they have been thinking about building a product for users in India, from the scratch instead of releasing a toned-down version of their primary app. “As we talked to people in the market, they didn’t want something that felt like a stripped down version of YouTube – they wanted the full experience,” said John Harding, vice president of engineering at YouTube.

One of the best features of the YouTube Go is that it can be used offline. It also offers search relatability, cuts down internet costs and enables video sharing. The app has been reworked from ground zero and stars an entirely different home screen and a new logo. It shows a simple interface with a total of only 10 videos by default. The users should get used to having two YouTube apps in their Google play store. However, the availability of the new app on iOS is still unknown.
In the September event, speaking to the media, Johanna Wright, Youtube Vice President of Product Management had said that YouTube has always believed that internet connectivity should not be roadblock while enjoying the website.

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Wright had talked about the launch of YouTube Offline in 2014 so that the users could enjoy watching videos without worrying about buffering. She also said that YouTube rolled out the Smart Offline feature a few months ago so that the user could schedule videos to get saved offline at a different time when there was less traffic. “But we realised that for the next generation of YouTube users to fully discover all that YouTube has to offer, we had to reimagine the YouTube mobile app from the ground up,” she added.

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She had said that Google was dependant on the fact that that the YouTube Go would allow users to save and watch videos smoothly, even in poor connectivity. The YouTube Go app, that is now available in its Beta version, come in 5 Indian languages. By the time the complete app goes live, it is said to be supporting 10 different languages. the users can also use the preview app and select the desired resolution, to watch their videos or save it for later. The app basically features everything the Youtube app does, only better and cheaper.

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First published on: 05-04-2017 at 16:34 IST
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