Apple’s desire to remove as much of Google as possible from their iOS devices has taken another step overnight with the release of the latest beta build of iOS 6, the still developer-only version of Apple’s cross-platform operation system.
The result? Yesterday’s beta release kills off the somewhat aged and tired YouTube app from the iPad and iPhone home screens, leaving the only current option that of browsing to YouTube’s mobile site via Safari, the included web browser.
It’s not ideal, but it’s not as terrible as you might first think.
“Our license to include the YouTube app in iOS has ended,” says an Apple statement on the matter. “Customers can use YouTube in the Safari browser and Google is working on a new YouTube app to be on the App Store.”
Google are happy to reinforce this notion. “We are working with Apple to ensure we have the best possible YouTube experience for iOS users,” the company said. Presumably then this’ll mean more frequent updates and tighter integration, something the built-in app never really managed.
Apple removed Google’s Maps app at the start of the iOS 6 beta run, replacing it with one of their own which includes clever 3D cities, but no StreetView.
Mike
Probably for the best. Google can update the new app in the app store and it is in quite a bit of need in updating.
cc_star
Presume that just like Maps on iOS, this YouTube app is an Apple produced app to access YouTube & not a Google produced app?
Odd it has lasted so long in that state, as just like with Maps the Google app on Android development has sped away from iOS & the experience & usability is streets ahead. Google doing their own app is great news… & anyway the mobile version of YouTube website is great.
hol
To be honest, the built in one is dire. Wherever possible I use the web version as its much easier to share videos across the 3 main social networks.
Amphlett
This is going to really mess up the heads of the iphone using mums until a dedicated app is released (but will they know how to download it?). Still, at least they’ll still be able to easily access fb.
mcphatty
I think I might keep iOS 5.1 on my ageing 3GS and Touch. Out of interest, does the removal of the App mean the YouTube AirPlay feature will be affected?
hazelam
i’ve only got a 3rd gen Touch so i may keep the old os, at least until an app i want needs it.
it doesn’t have a camera or a mike so any new features that need those would be useless for me.
hazelam
anybody tried Chrome on iOS?
i use it on pc, but is this version any good?
teflon
It’s not as fast as Safari, but has the all important syncing of bookmarks and open tabs. Just grab it and give it a go.
hazelam
i think i will give it a try.
i can always go back to Safari if i don’t like it.
i’ll have to try youtube through it, if that doesn’t work then i probably won’t use it much, because i watch a few youtube vids on my touch, mostly embeds in news sites like TSA.
YOURMUMANDME
Didn’t really like it, I use it on PC too but it just felt very strange using it on iPad. Plus like Tef says its not quite as fast and that’s why I use Chrome on PC.
hol
Yes mate, very good is chrome on ios ;)
MICKY17
Not too disappointed by this. I find the YouTube app is horribly slow but that may well be my shoddy Internet. If the new app has better integration, great.
YOURMUMANDME
I love the YouTube app! :(
I was just thinking about the app last night and about the wait for it to go live in Europe when the iPhone first launched. I was totally over the moon when it started working! Sad.
Oh well, hopefully the choice to force content to play in 1080p will be there, that’s something that bugs me just now.
colmshan1990
I’m disappointed.
The app might be slightly slow, but you know what it doesn’t have?
Adverts. The iOS YouTube app was one of the last places I could watch YouTube without those annoying ads.