A new YouTube app, specially designed to be and offline-first option that reduces the (often heavy) data load of the traditional YouTube, has launched in South Africa.
According to Mzamo Masito, Google Africa CMO, “People in South Africa love YouTube, but the current app is too data-heavy for it to be usable to most viewers, who don’t have high speed and large capacity data plans, or free Wifi. Now, the app is much lighter and nimbler, and you won’t have to wait for videos to load or buffer forever.”
YouTube GO Features
Here are some of the most relevant features of the new YouTube app:
Reduce Data Usage
Built with an “offline first” philosophy, YouTube Go allows users to save videos for offline watching, and will work even with limited or no connectivity. You can also choose the resolution to stream your videos in, so they can use up less data.
User Interface
A simple user interface, with a home screen that shows trending and popular videos nearby, the app also has a preview function to make it easier to decide if you want to watch the video.
Share Videos Wirelessly
You can now share videos with others, even if the user is offline. YouTube Go lets users wirelessly transfer videos to nearby devices, without using any data.