The YouTube Go app will be shut down in August, the company announced on Tuesday. The substitute app will be closed for good as YouTube says its main app has been improved to support low-specs devices and slow internet connections.
YouTube Go was first launched in 2016 in India, with the company describing it as an “offline first” alternative for the main YouTube app. It became available in Indonesia the following year, before leaving beta and launching in more than 130 countries in 2018.
The lightweight app was primarily designed to bring a better experience to viewers who are using entry-level phones, who have limited data plans, and live in areas where fast internet connections are not accessible. The YouTube Go app allowed users to download videos in standard and low quality, which also meant they required smaller storage space. YouTube Go’s availability expanded to more regions a couple of years after launching in India.
However, YouTube said on Tuesday that its main app has been optimized to support the features that YouTube Go offers. “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,” YouTube said. Specifically, we have improved performance for entry-level devices or those that watch YouTube on slower networks.”
It is unclear if YouTube Go users will be able to carry over their downloaded videos to the main YouTube app once the offline-first alternative shuts down in August. But the company noted that the main app will also gain more user controls in future updates to allow users to reduce their mobile data usage when viewing videos.
It is worth noting, though, that offline viewing is currently locked to paying YouTube Premium subscribers even on the main app. Aside from the option to download videos, the subscription also gives users access to some YouTube Originals content, premium YouTube Music, and ad-free viewing.
Photo by freestocks.org from Pexels


SpaceX Begins IPO Preparations as Wall Street Banks Line Up for Advisory Roles
John Carreyrou Sues Major AI Firms Over Alleged Copyrighted Book Use in AI Training
Moore Threads Unveils New GPUs, Fuels Optimism Around China’s AI Chip Ambitions
SUPERFORTUNE Launches AI-Powered Mobile App, Expanding Beyond Web3 Into $392 Billion Metaphysics Market
Texas App Store Age Verification Law Blocked by Federal Judge in First Amendment Ruling
Oracle Stock Surges After Hours on TikTok Deal Optimism and OpenAI Fundraising Buzz
Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency
Nvidia to Acquire Groq in $20 Billion Deal to Boost AI Chip Dominance
Micron Technology Forecasts Surge in Revenue and Earnings on AI-Driven Memory Demand
MetaX IPO Soars as China’s AI Chip Stocks Ignite Investor Frenzy
Oracle Stock Slides After Blue Owl Exit Report, Company Says Michigan Data Center Talks Remain on Track
ByteDance Plans Massive AI Investment in 2026 to Close Gap With U.S. Tech Giants
FTC Praises Instacart for Ending AI Pricing Tests After $60M Settlement
Biren Technology Targets Hong Kong IPO to Raise $300 Million Amid China’s AI Chip Push
Nvidia and Groq Strike Strategic AI Inference Licensing Deal
TSMC Honors Japanese Chip Equipment Makers With 2025 Supplier Awards 



