YouTube gets the offline feature for Android and iOS users in India. Apart from, this feature has been enabled in Indonesia and Philippines. This feature will allow users to download YouTube videos and playback them in offline mode that is, without internet connection .
In the YouTube app, you will see a download button in the description below the video, clicking on which you will be able to download the video on your device. While downloading you can also choose the playback quality you want. The saved video will be accessible for 48 hours in the offline section on the left-hand sliding menu. However, the offline-enabled videos are limited at the moment. These videos include music videos from T-Series and Yash Raj films, as well as comedy videos made in India. To monetize, this feature will be ad-supported. India is said to be a mobile first country, but access to high-speed, affordable internet remains a big challenge. So the offline feature will be an advantage.
“In a country like India, the future of the Internet is mobile. 85 percent of the Internet population will connect to the Internet with a mobile phone before any other device,” John Harding, Vice President of Engineering at YouTube said.
“Already, we are seeing over 40 percent of our traffic in India come from mobile devices, and we want to make sure we are making YouTube as enjoyable as possible for these mobile-first users. By launching this offline experience on YouTube in India today, we have to help people move past the challenges of data connection, speed, and cost to enjoy a smooth, buffer-free version of YouTube,” he added.
SOURCE: Google Asia Pacific
