YouTube is killing off its lightweight YouTube Go app this August
Back in 2016, YouTube announced the launch of the YouTube Go app. For those unfamiliar, YouTube Go is a lightweight alternative to the regular YouTube app, aimed at users in emerging markets where internet connection wasn’t as fast, as reliable, or as ubiquitous as some more developed parts of the world.
Fast forward 6 years later, YouTube has announced that come August, they will be sunsetting the app. According to the company, the improvements they’ve made over the years to its app have made it easier to deliver a better experience, even for those who are running entry-level devices or whose internet connectivity isn’t as fast.
“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. Specifically, we have improved performance for entry-level devices or those that watch YouTube on slower networks.”
So if you are using the YouTube Go app, you will have until August before the app stops working. YouTube has since asked users to install either the regular YouTube app or visit YouTube via their mobile browsers.
What’s interesting about this is what it could mean about the future of Android Go, as 9to5Google points out. Who knows, maybe in the future with further improvements made to Android, Google could eventually create a version of Android that will play nicely on all manner of devices without needing separate versions.
Source: YouTube