YouTube Go: How to download videos for offline viewing

The app is officially only available in India, but there's a way for UK users to download it too

YouTube Go allows consumers with poor signal or limited data to download videos from the site for offline viewing (Reuters)

Google has launched a new app called YouTube Go, which allows users with poor signal or limited data to download videos from the site for offline viewing.

First announced last September, the app is officially only available to consumers in India for the time being.

However, there is a way for Android users in the UK to install it.

Rather than attempting to track it down in the Google Play store, you can install the YouTube Go APK for free from APKMirror.

You may have to fiddle with some of your phone’s settings first though, temporarily giving it permission to install apps from sources other than the Play Store through your handset’s Security section.

Just remember to switch off the feature once you’ve downloaded the app.

After linking your number, you’ll be able to browse clips and choose between basic and standard quality, and whether to play a video now or save it for offline viewing later on.

Saved videos sit in a tab towards the top of the screen, and a popup in the app shows users how much free space you have available on your handset and microSD card.

Unfortunately, every video I tried to save was unavailable to download when I fired up the app earlier, with a message reading, “The owner of this video does not allow it to be saved or shared” popping up on each of my selections.

That defeats the entire purposes of the app, and is hopefully just an early teething issue that Google needs to fix.