Train Commuters Rejoice: YouTube Adding Offline Viewing to Apps
In a blog post, YouTube announced that in November it will update its iOS and Android apps to add the ability to store videos on a mobile device for offline viewing. The post says that people will be able to add videos to their devices to watch for a short period, so there appears to be a limit to how many videos a viewer could add and how long they can keep them. All Things D is reporting that viewers will be able to store videos for up to 48 hours.
The news will likely be welcomed the most by people with daily train commutes who don't have internet service while riding, or who don't want to use up their limited data plans. It's a surprising move for YouTube, which has never before offered a tool for downloading videos from its library.
YouTube notes that this is a part of the regular updates it's making to its mobile apps. In August, YouTube added the ability to watch videos while browsing for new videos to its iOS and Android apps. It also freshened up the user interface, and added the ability to search for and play playlists.
YouTube promises more details on the feature when it launches in November.
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