Save data when you watch videos with YouTube Go

For many, YouTube has become the source of video entertainment because of how convenient it is to use on-the-go and the wealth of content that gets uploaded to it. However, watching those videos require a lot of data. If you’re someone who’s broke af and can only afford the most basic mobile data plans, your YouTube watching ability becomes severely limited.

This is where YouTube Go comes in with the goal of alleviating some of these data consumption concerns.

In a nutshell, YouTube Go is designed to be a stripped down version of the standard YouTube app that’s supposed to use as little data as possible. With this app, users can preview a video in a really crappy low-res GIF before deciding to play the video in one of three different quality presets: Basic, Standard and High.

Each of these quality settings have their respective file sizes listed next to them too so you know exactly how much data it will take. Users can also choose to download or play the video.

Finally, YouTube Go also has this rather unique video sharing feature that allows other YouTube Go users to send you videos that they’ve already downloaded. So, for example, if your buddy on YouTube Go has a video you want to watch but you don’t have data to download it, they can actually send it to you through the app so you can view it on your device without an internet connection.

It’s not the same as sending you a direct rip of the video because it only works if you’re using the YouTube Go app as well. At first we thought they were sending it via Bluetooth, but when we tried out out for ourselves, we found out that Bluetooth was only used to find the sender/receiver. The actual video file is shared over WiFi direct.

The YouTube Go app itself is super minimal. You don’t have your usual tabs like Trending, Subscriptions, Activity and Library. You still get access to your Watch History, but it’s tucked away in the Settings menu (tap your portrait in the app).

If you’re interested in trying the YouTube Go app out, you can download the early access app on the Play Store. Keep in mind that this isn’t the full-release version so use at your own risk.