Say ‘goodbye’ to YouTube Go starting this August

If you are still using the YouTube Go app, it might be the time to consider the standard version of the app now since Google is about to kill it off “beginning in August.” 

The YouTube Go app was first launched in 2016 as a primary solution for headsets with low-end hardware. The app focuses on giving such users choices over the quality and file size of the download. Most of all, it answers the need of said devices that have cellular connectivity limitations. “When we launched YouTube Go in 2016, it was designed for viewers in locations where connectivity, data prices, and low-end devices prevented us from delivering the best experience in the main YouTube app,” said Google.

Six years after that, however, the mobile market saw significant hardware improvements in almost all mobile models (even the most affordable options in the market), not to mention the big updates in the Android OS versions. The same goes for the YouTube app, which is now getting more considerate of low-end devices in terms of hardware requirements like RAM.

“…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,” explained Google. “… Using the main YouTube app, YouTube Go users will be able to participate in creation and community and have access to an overall improved user experience.”

With all that, Google finalized its decision to shut down the YouTube Go app without a particular date of when the process will end. The multinational technology company confidently suggests the use of the main YouTube app and YouTube for desktop that both offer a full platform experience, unlike the Go version lacking other essential features, such as the “ability to comment, post, create content, and use dark theme.” And to aid those who are shifting from the light version of the app to the primary one, Google says that it has plans to provide data consumption control features in the future.