In September 2016, YouTube launched a new app called YouTube Go. This was exclusive to India, where people tend to own older, underpowered phones, or have issues connecting to the internet. In February 2017, YouTube Go launched as a beta, with more people in more countries invited to try it. And now YouTube Go is being officially launched in more than 130 countries.

YouTube Go Goes Global

YouTube Go is one of a handful of lightweight apps Google has been developing of late. The idea is to allow more people in more countries to use Android and gain access to the core Google apps. With the main YouTube app big, cumbersome, and hungry for data, YouTube Go is a solid option.

YouTube Go is a small download (of 10MB) and employs a simple user interface. The app lets you preview videos before watching them, download videos to watch offline, choose your resolution, adjust your data usage, and share multiple videos at the same time with people close by.

The app is now available in 130 countries worldwide. However, YouTube Go is still focused on developing countries. So, the U.S., the U.K., and most of Europe still don't have access, while countries in South America, Africa, the Middle East, the Caribbean, and parts of Asia, do.

Rather than us list all 130 countries in which YouTube Go is now available, just find the app on Google Play and try to install it. If you see the "This item cannot be installed in your device's country" then you're out of luck. Everyone else can start saving data while watching videos.

Google Tackles Bloated Apps

Google's "Go" initiative is gaining strength, and YouTube Go is an awesome addition to its lineup. Too many apps are unnecessarily bloated to the point they exclude Android users in developing countries from using them. But YouTube Go means that even they can watch people eat Tide pods.

Have you tried YouTube Go yet? If so, what do you think of it? Is YouTube Go better than the regular YouTube app? Are there any features you would like to see YouTube add? Or does that risk making it less simple and user-friendly? Please let us know in the comments below!