Google’s YouTube will drop its Go app in August 2022, it announced in a blog post. The application was tailored for Android Go on lower-end phones with less RAM compatibility. The lightweight Android app has prevented it from delivering a better experience in its main app, the video sharing platform said.
YouTube recommends Go users install the main application or access YouTube via browser. “We have improved performance for entry-level devices or those that watch YouTube on slower networks,” it said in a statement.The video application is working on additional user controls to decrease mobile data usage for viewers with limited data.
YouTube Go was launched in 2016 as an alternative to the main app for users who have poor connectivity, high mobile data prices, and low-end phones. However, YouTube Go users could not comment, post, create content or use dark themes. The application, which has over 500 million users, received its last update in October 2021, according to a 9to5 Google report.
Google has not specified a date for the shutdown of YouTube Go, but appears to want to move users to its primary YouTube app, Android Police reported.