Remember back in August when it was discovered that the stock YouTube app was not going to be included in iOS 6? Apple said that its license to include the app in iOS had ended, and Google was working on a standalone app to replace it.
Well, that app just went live in the App Store…
The new YouTube app is everything you would expect it to be. It opens to a page with trending videos, and you have the ability to search for clips, browse them by category, access your account, and more. Here’s an excerpt from the release notes:
“The new app is built by YouTube engineers, to give our iPhone and iPod touch users the best mobile experience. Here’s what you’ll find:
Tens of thousands more videos: Watch official music videos like Taylor’s latest hit.
New YouTube channel guide: Swipe your finger from the left edge of the screen to reveal a guide with your subscribed channels on YouTube, giving you instant access to everything from Alli Sports to YOMYOMF.
Find awesome videos faster: Get to videos like “Gangnam Style” faster with new search tools that give suggestions while you type, and let you sort through videos or channels. Flip through related videos, comments and more info, all while watching a video.
More ways to share with the people you love: Share that incredible video you found on YouTube on Google+, Facebook or text message in the app, as well as from Twitter and email.”
After playing with the app for a short while, I have to admit, it’s good. It’s definitely better than the stock app was that was previously built-in to iOS. Picture the smooth animations and sharp graphics you see in the Google+ app — that’s what this is like.
And on top of that, it’s more functional. You know that error message you see sometimes that reads something like “Sorry, this content not available on mobile.” That’s because the stock iOS app doesn’t show ads. This one does, unlocking thousands of videos.
Unfortunately, there doesn’t appear to be an iPad app yet. But the word is that one is in the works. You can however, still download the new YouTube app for your iPhone or iPod touch from the App Store, for free. Just make sure you’re subscribed to our channel.
So, what do you think of the new YouTube app?