You Can YouTube Again On iOS With The New, Redesigned App

Google-owned YouTube said it was to develop a new version of YouTube that support iOS 6, though would be a standalone download. That app is now available to download on the eve of the new iPhone announcement.

YouTube is available iOS once again after Apple and Google’s deal ended, forcing the video service to disappear as a bundled-in for the platform

The app overhauls the user interface to separate itself from the traditional app design guidelines. The interface resembles the Google+ app for iOS with a context bar on the left-hand side, with the functionality to access accounts and subscriptions. New sharing options are also available, with Google Plus integration of course. Also, when you’re searching, an arrow on the right can be pressed to auto-fill the query. Voice search is also available.

Videos won’t be cached over Wi-Fi because iOS doesn’t fully support the functionality, at least according to Google, unlike Android. Google didn’t clarify the reasons why.

One of my much-wanted feature is comments can be dragged up while watching a video so you’re not forced to watch the video and then view comments like in the previous version of YouTube. The Android app allows you to rotate to landscape to view the video in full screen.

New Developer, New Design

The previous app was very much based on the design used in Apple’s apps and seemed less functionality than the Android app. To be honest it was the kind of app that could cause users to switch to Android. I did myself

Google launched Google Plus for Android that uses a similar design, especially with the left-hand sidebar that shows added functionality. Also, with the acquisition of Sparrow, we’re likely to see the design element again. It seemed to be popularized in Facebook app.

The app isn’t expected to be included in iOS 6 as with past versions of Apple’s mobile operating system. Apple is expected to unveil the next iPhone tomorrow and, probably, cover iOS 6 also. We’ll find out then if YouTube is being bundled in.

The app is available now, for free, on iOS. It supports iOS 6 though is a standalone app and therefore needs to be downloaded from the App Store. An iPad versions is coming in “months” according to Google/YouTube.