iOS 6 not only brought some great new features, it also got rid of some favorite ones. Along with replacing the Google Maps app, they also got rid of the YouTube app. And they didn’t replace it. They just got rid of it, reportedly over licensing issues with Google, which some say is payback for Apple getting rid of the Google Maps. Regardless, the users are the losers, as they’re the ones without the trusted YouTube app.
The users don’t have to lose out though. There are two really easy ways to watch YouTube videos on i-Devices. While there are some third-party apps that promise to be good for viewing, they were less than satisfactory after download. If you want the best way to watch YouTube, you have stick with Google, and you can do that either in the browser or by downloading the Google’s own YouTube app.
Browser
If you view the YouTube site in your iOS browser, whether it’s Safari or similar, with some videos that are pulled up, it shows a message saying you need to download the latest version of Flash or saying that the video isn’t available for that device. Of course, downloading Flash isn’t a possibility on an iPad or iPhone. There are certain browsers you can use where it is an option, but they can be difficult to use.
It turns out, though, that you don’t necessarily need the Flash to view the videos. There are two modes to view the YouTube website – Desktop and Mobile. If you view the site in Desktop, meaning it looks just like it does on a desktop or laptop computer, that’s when you get the message to download Flash. But if you click on the words “Mobile” in the bottom right of the site, it will switch the site to the mobile version, and in doing so, you will lose the message that says to download Flash, and your videos can be viewed.
Google YouTube App
Google has also released its own YouTube app for iPhone. It’s available in the App Store, but only for the iPhone. If you look for it on the iPad, you won’t find it. However, follow this link, and it will take you to the download in the App Store, whether you’re on an iPad or iPhone. It works on the iPad, but is native to the iPhone, meaning you have to exercise the option to display it 2X.
When you open the app for the first time, it asks you to swipe to the side to access the settings. This allows you to sign in to your Google account so that you can access your favorite videos as well as the channels you are subscribed to and your playlists. It doesn’t look like the old app, so don’t expect that. Yet it works just the same.
Once you play the videos, if you do so in portrait mode, you will see the information and the video. If you turn the device into landscape mode, you will see just the video as it fills the screen. It has all the options you’re accustomed to, including the option to watch it on Apple TV, to share it, add it to your favorites or a playlist, etc.
There’s no mistake that neither of these two options are exactly the same experience as using the old YouTube app, yet these two methods are both very usable. They both work and allow you to watch the videos that you may have been missing.
Laura has spent nearly 20 years writing news, reviews, and op-eds, with more than 10 of those years as an editor as well. She has exclusively used Apple products for the past three decades. In addition to writing and editing at MTE, she also runs the site’s sponsored review program.
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