The data-friendly version of YouTube is branching out. The YouTube Go Android app is rolling out to more than 130 countries, starting today, after first launching in India last year.
"YouTube Go gives access to YouTube regardless of connectivity status and more control over data usage, while being locally and socially relevant," YouTube Product Manager Jay Akkad wrote in a blog post.
With YouTube Go, you can preview videos by tapping on the thumbnail. This way, you can get a better idea of what's in the video to decide if you want to consume data watching it. If you think it's worth it, you can stream the video right away, or download it to watch later as many times as you like. YouTube Go gives you the option to stream or download videos in basic, standard, or high quality, depending on how much data you want to use. The app also lets you share videos with nearby friends without using any data.
YouTube Go itself is just 9.4MB, so it won't take up too much room on your phone, and works on Android versions back to Jellybean (Android 4.1).
Those in the US will have to stick to the regular version of YouTube for the time being. A YouTube spokesperson told PCMag that the app will not be arriving in the US as part of this expansion.
"This is mostly aimed for countries where connectivity and price are a challenge," the spokesperson said.
In other YouTube news, the company's $35 monthly YouTube TV service is now available on Roku devices, according to 9to5Google. YouTube TV offers cable network streaming and live broadcast television from local affiliates, along with YouTube Red content.