It was a few days ago the folks from Google’s YouTube team announced a new feature coming soon to mobile that would give users the ability to watch videos when no internet connection was available. Similar to “pre-loading”, this is different int that users will be able to select specific videos for complete offline viewing (not just your “Watch Later” playlist) but only for a “short time”.
Of course, details on this upcoming feature were scarce and we were curious to see how Google would handle the delicate issue with movie studios and music labels. Thankfully, the folks at All Things D spilled the beans, and here’s what you can expect from your YouTube app when it’s updated in the near future:
- YouTube videos will still have ads
- Users can select “add to device” to make videos available offline
- Users have 48 hours to check-in in order to continue watching “offline” videos
- Does not apply to movie/tv shows for sale or rent
- Content creators will need to opt-out if they don’t want this new feature for their videos
- No mention of music videos
YouTube says the feature will go live sometime in November (a month after the rumored Nexus 5 release), where they’ll update their blog with additional details. Seems like a nifty feature for tablet users who may not always have an active internet connection, especially when traveling. We’re hoping that YouTube will have a special section specifically for these offline videos inside their app, or maybe even offline videos that appear in the Android 4.4 KitKat’s (rumored) new Gallery app.
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