YouTube Go is available for download in the Google Play store and will come pre-installed on all Android 8.1 (Go Edition) phones.

According to YouTube, the app has been designed with the user at the forefront. It features a user interface that allows people to access their favourite videos and has been built with an ‘offline first’ philosophy, meaning it works even when there’s low or no connectivity.

YouTube Go aims to provide transparency in how users are using their data, allowing them to reduce their data consumption. It also aims to provide a social experience by connecting users with the people and content they care about.

"With YouTube Go, we want to make it possible for everyone in South Africa to be able to discover and share videos that they love regardless of their data consumption preference," says Google Africa's CMO, Mzamo Masito.

"We understand the unique challenges – connectivity, cost and social models – faced by South Africans and users in other emerging economies. YouTube Go was created on the back of our understanding of these issues," adds Masito.

YouTube Go gives users a home screen that shows trending and popular videos nearby, allowing them to see the latest content that the people around them are watching and sharing. It also offers a ‘preview video’ function that aims to make it easier for users to decide what they want to watch.

Users can save videos for offline watching and can choose what resolution to save the video in – low quality or standard quality – giving them control over how they use their data. Users can also choose what resolution to stream videos in – low or standard.

YouTube Go lets users wirelessly transfer videos to nearby devices, without using any data. YouTube Go’s ‘search’ function lets people search for content on YouTube.

"People in South Africa love YouTube," says Masito. "But the current app is too data-heavy for it to be usable to most viewers, who don’t have high speed and large capacity data plans or free Wi-Fi."

"Now, the app is much lighter and nimbler, and you won’t have to wait for videos to load or buffer forever. The experience will be delightful in low, no or good connectivity situations," Masito concludes.

For more information, visit www.google-africa.blogspot.com. You can also follow Google Africa on Twitter.