August will mark the end of the YouTube Go application, which has made it possible to watch videos using less Internet data on your smartphone.
YouTube Go was developed in 2016 in a context where cellular data connections, which are particularly expensive, are more unstable and sometimes even prevent YouTube from functioning, especially on entry-level smartphones.
This version of YouTube, which weighs only 10 MB, does not allow you to write comments, add likes, create and publish content or use dark themes.
Its beta version was first deployed in India and Indonesia, then in over a hundred countries in 2018.
Technologies have improved over the years and upgrades have also been made to YouTube’s core application, allowing it to perform better even when the network is unstable.
The video site said the group is working on a feature that will reduce Internet data usage in the popular app, but has not revealed a launch schedule.
What’s the future for lightweight versions?
This YouTube announcement may spell the beginning of the end for apps that require less bandwidth, but other tech giants are sending signals the opposite.
Meta, formerly a Facebook group, announced in March 2021 the launch of a lite version of Instagram to accommodate social network users in places and communities without fast Internet access. .
Android also announced version 12 of its own lite mode, Android Go, which since 2017 has allowed its low-end phones to operate while reducing Internet data usage.
For YouTube Go, users have until August to switch to the regular YouTube app.
Source: Radio-Canada
