Streaming videos on your cell phone isn't always convenient, or even possible. Sometimes you don't have a connection, and when you do, it uses up your data allowance. That's why it's important to offer the option of downloading them to watch offline. Netflix knows this, for example - and so does YouTube.
A "Save" button is appearing in the YouTube app for some users in Brazil. By tapping it, you can download in low (144p), medium (360p) or high (720p) quality. You also find out how many megabytes it will take up on your smartphone or tablet.
Then simply access the video in the Library (at the bottom of the interface). It is available for offline use for up to 48 hours. Ads, if any, are played as normal.
Reader Wanderson de Souza, who obtained the appeal, tells Tecnoblog who downloaded a video and put the device in airplane mode to test it - the playback went smoothly. He's on version 12.45.56 of the Android app; I am too, but the "Save" button doesn't appear for me.
In a statement, Google said: "We are testing YouTube Go in Brazil with a limited sample. There is no launch date yet".
In 2014, the YouTube app gained an offline mode, but only in India. In 2016, Google decided to create a new app from scratch, called YouTube Go, also for Indians: it warns you how many megabytes will be consumed by downloading, or just watching, each video; and allows you to share them with users nearby without using up the internet.
This year, YouTube Go went into public beta on the Play Store, only for users in India. But it should reach more countries soon, as it is part of Android Go, the version of the operating system for basic smartphones.
Other streaming services already allow you to download videos to watch offline, including Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.