YouTube have launched their subscription service YouTube Go in India for ad-free videos, offline watching, exclusive content and more in the country.

Following their announcement last September at Google for India, YouTube have launched their paid service, YouTube Go, in India. The service is now available in a beta version on the Google Play Store in India.

Speaking on the release, YouTube said: “To get us to this point, we’ve worked hard on refining the features that you’ve inspired us to build, gaining new insights along the way. Some things we’ve learned in the run-up to this beta release include making the home screen fresher and more relevant for users, so they can find amazing videos easily.

“We’ve also worked hard behind the scenes to make sharing videos with nearby friends an even more seamless experience, and ensuring that the app works well across a wide range of phones and connectivity. While the app is in its beta release, we’ll continue to listen to your feedback and improve the app before launching more broadly. We’ll also be holding several activities in Udaipur over the upcoming weeks to glean more insights from users on the ground.”

They went on to say about how India’s transforming tech landscape has inspired a greater effort for the region, saying: “With the rapid

YouTube described YouTube Go and it’s benefits in their announcement post for India, saying:

You’ll recall that every aspect of YouTube Go was designed from the ground up, with four main principles in mind: It’s relatable, with fresh and relevant video recommendations tailored to your preferences; the app is designed to be offline first and improve the experience of watching videos on a slower network; it gives you more control over data usage, by providing choice and transparency into the amount of data spent on streaming or saving videos. And finally, it’s social, allowing you to share videos quickly and easily with friends nearby.

YouTube Go’s key features:
  • A home built for you: YouTube Go home screen features trending and popular videos in your area, so that you can find and discover videos that you and your community care about.
  • Preview videos before you save or watch: On YouTube Go we’ll show you a preview of the video when you tap on a thumbnail, giving you a better sense of what the video is about before you decide if you want to watch it.
  • Choose your resolution when saving or streaming videos: You can choose to save a video for offline viewing later or stream it now. And we also allow you to choose the amount of data you’d like to spend on that video.
  • Share videos with friends nearby: Share videos with friends and family nearby without using any data. You can send and receive videos instantly and offline with others using the YouTube Go app.

If you’re in India, we hope you download the beta from the Google Play Store today, and let us know what you think by leaving your feedback within the app. As before, if you’d like to find out when YouTube Go is fully ready, you can sign up at youtubego.com/signup.