YouTube announces new offline app for Android

YouTube wants to make it easier for users in developing markets to access its service without having to rely on fast mobile connectivity. That's why the Google subsidiary just launched YouTube Go, a new Android app that allows users to download videos to watch them at a later time.

The idea of YouTube Go is simple: Users can download YouTube videos when they're within reach of a Wifi connection, and then watch them offline on the go. YouTube had previously added this kind of offline viewing to its regular YouTube app in India, where it is now also debuting YouTube Go.

However, the app goes beyond simple offline caching. Users can preview videos before downloading them, and select the quality and size of the video they're going to download.

What's more, the new YouTube Go app also supports an interesting kind of sneaker net: Users can share videos with each other without having to connect to the internet. That way, one users could for example download a few videos to her phone, and share it with all of her classmates or work colleagues.

YouTube is giving select users in India access to the app first, and plans to make it more widely available early next year. There's no word yet on whether the service also plans to bring the app to additional countries.

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