Google's YouTube Go app was launched back in September last year, and now there is a beta version of the app that has been listed on Google Play Store. This new version is only available for India, and it also supports eight Indian languages - Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Marathi, Telugu, Kannada, Gujarati and Malayalam.
The main highlight of this new beta version of the app listed for India is that it allows download and share of videos. Yes, you can download videos in two resolutions - Basic (144p) and Standard (360p). The motto behind the YouTube Go is to make video-streaming accessible in low connectivity areas where one gets 2G signals. With this new beta version for Android, users can download YouTube videos and can also save them on SD card. For sharing, users can use Bluetooth connectivity after running an online in-app security check of 15KB on the app. To keep the authenticity of every account, the app would ask for user's mobile number for verification.
How Does It Work?
After you download and install the app on your Android phone, open it and search for any video. After performing the search, simply tap on the video and the app will ask you if you want to view it in basic or standard resolution. The basic resolution will, of course, suck less data. In the video window, you will also find a download option that will save the video in desired resolution (144p or 360p) on your device's internal storage or SD card. You can also share the video via Bluetooth. For sharing purpose, the app will run a small internet security check and once it is done, you will be allowed to share the video.
For now, there are only low-resolution video downloads available (140p and 360p), but YouTube could soon introduce HD downloads too (720p and 1080p).
Here are the highlights of the app that are listed on the Play Store:
Control Your Data – Choose to download or stream, Preview videos before you download or watch, Choose how many MBs you spend on videos
Share Videos Instantly – Share with friends and family nearby, Video transfer uses no data, Super fast speed: send videos in seconds, Once received, a quick 15KB internet security check allows you to play the video
Download Videos – Download videos to your phone or SD card, Play them without buffering, Watch them anytime, anywhere – even with slow or no internet connection, Watch downloaded videos many times with no extra data cost
Super Fast Less Phone Hang – No more worrying about phone hanging, Made to work with less storage and slow speeds, Works on older Android versions back to Jellybean (Android 4.1)
We think that YouTube Go beta version could prove to be pretty helpful for the areas with 2G connectivity. Users from such regions can download YouTube videos and share them easily. What's your take on YouTube Go? Share your views in the comment section below.
[UPDATE] Being a beta version, the app is not taking any more users and is not up for download anymore. For the full-fledged use of YouTube Go, we have to wait for the official launch on the Play Store.
