YouTube Go, alongside all the other “Go” variants of Google-owned and developed apps is designed to be a lighter version of the main app. It is easier to run on lower-end devices and in areas with low connectivity or high data prices. News of the YouTube Go app has to be seen as positive too, as over the 6 years since it was first introduced it has been downloaded over 500 million times. Despite this, however, the YouTube team has decided to discontinue the app, which will be “sunsetted” this August.
It isn’t all bad news, however, if you are a YouTube Go user. The reason YouTube is giving for pulling the plug on the lightweight app is that it no longer thinks it is necessary to offer a separate basic version of the main YouTube app.
In the blog post announcing the move, Meaghan from team YouTube said:
“Since [we launched YouTube Go], 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. We’re also building out additional user controls that help to decrease mobile data usage for viewers with limited data – so stay tuned for more updates!”
This means that YouTube Go users should now be able to take advantage of the full YouTube app, no matter what their local conditions are. Depending on the functionality of the main app in such conditions, this could actually be seen as a win for YouTube Go users. YouTube Go offered a severely limited service without many popular features including being able to comment on videos, post videos or create content.
Does this news mean we could be about to see an extra 500 million potential content creators on the network? Only time will tell. If it does, our guide to monetizing your YouTube channel is here to help them all get rich!
