5 ms·

Google releases standalone Youtube iOS app

44 points by miketucker 14y ago

Samuel_Michon 14y ago
It's an app for iPhone, it's not optimized for iPad. Doesn't seem like Google put much effort into it, just look at the sloppy icon.
- kristofferR 14y ago
  They had to get it out by tomorrow, when Apple will release (or at least announce) iPhone 6 and iOS 6 without the Youtube app. This looks like a rush job, but they'll likely improve it quickly. The Google+ app was totally horrible in the beginning, but they quickly made it one of the best social networking apps on iOS.
  - denzil_correa 14y ago
    That's the point! Is this a win-win situation for consumers or no?
- vpdn 14y ago
  They might have just set the priority differently, given the time and resource constraints.
- mmackh 14y ago
  The icon isn't as sloppy on the homescreen itself, in fact the whole app is done quite well. Native, fast and leap years ahead of m.youtube.com - I was hesitant at first to upgrade to iOS6, because of the removal, but now I'm confident enough that they'll pull of a better version for the iPad too.
Hopka 14y ago
Not available on the German App Store (yet).
aes256 14y ago
Not compatible with the iPhone 3G. Guess I'll stick with the built-in app then...
- ihuman 14y ago
  Its probably using APIs that aren't in 4.2.1.
- mathieuh 14y ago
  The dropping of the app from iOS 6 won't affect you anyway, your iPhone is stuck on iOS 4.
vpdn 14y ago
There seems to be currently two entries of the same story on the main page (http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4504246 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4504246). In case someone here has kids and would be interested: I'm creating ToddlerTube, a YouTube iPad app for young kids. If you have a few minutes, would be awesome if you could help fill out this three question survey: http://goo.gl/nYIGD http://goo.gl/nYIGD (Link to the other post: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4504690 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4504690)
- JonLim 14y ago
  Hey! Glad I randomly found this post. My baby cousins (I have around 6-7, and the number is quickly growing) are all huge fans of YouTube. Their parents teach them to search for appropriate things (Thomas the Train and Cars are popular searches) but I am sure they would love a version specifically for kids. I'm not sure if I should fill out your form, or if you'd like me to ask the parents and see what their answers would be. I often forget about comments I make on HN, so hit me on twitter @jonlim or my email in my profile. Cheers!
breakall 14y ago
But where is the new Google Voice Search for iOS app? The new Search app was supposed to rival Siri. The big tech press splash was weeks ago and claimed it would be out in days! Is Apple embargoing it like they held back the Google Voice for iOS app?
kodisha 14y ago
I couldn't find it via search (croatian store) but i followed link from this article to the app store, and installed it without any problems
bookwormAT 14y ago
What do iOS users think about the design of the app? I'm asking because from screenshots and a video, it looks the design is a close copy from the Android app. How do users accept common patterns like Actionbar or Slideout Menu on an iPhone?
- ConstantineXVI 14y ago
  The slide-out menu pattern showed up on both platforms mostly simultaneously (think Facebook may have been an early adopter). Also, it doesn't seem to follow the action bar pattern any more than other iOS apps do. Back and search buttons in the title bar has been an iOS convention since the dawn of the OS. Visually, it is adopting a similar "flat" design to Holo (as has Google+ on iOS), not sure how I feel about that but I'm not a primary user of iOS so my opinion is mainly moot there.
- geon 14y ago
  I think YouTube borrowed the menu-behind-the-content-when-it-slides-to-the-right from Facebook. Anyway, that's where I first saw it. Design-wise, it looks pretty much like the new mobile website.
  - christensen_emc 14y ago
    The menu behind the content UI Pattern is actually one of the suggested UI patterns in the official Android style guide.
    - Zev 14y ago
      Do you know when this UI pattern was added to the style guide? Because, FWIW, webOS had something similar with sliding, over a year ago, in their Maps app.
    - geon 14y ago
      Ah. Found it (they call it "drawers"). http://developer.android.com/design/patterns/actionbar.html http://developer.android.com/design/patterns/actionbar.html
geon 14y ago
And about time, too. The old youtube app was the worst of the built in apps.
- deleted 14y ago
  [deleted]
Herald_MJ 14y ago
I would have thought this would be much lower priority than a Google Maps native app for iOS, which also will be missing from iPhones when iOS 6 launches.
- mbell 14y ago
  I doubt the teams overlap so priority isn't material to which is released first.
  - boundlessdreamz 14y ago
    Yes. From what I have read youtube is run like a different company
- Splines 14y ago
  Just guessing, but maybe they finished sooner? It's also possible the native maps app is going through significant changes and they plan to launch when iOS 6 launches.
rafkin98 14y ago
It seems that AirPlay is not built-in...
chrishan 14y ago
Does it support offline view?

44 points by miketucker 14y ago

It's an app for iPhone, it's not optimized for iPad. Doesn't seem like Google put much effort into it, just look at the sloppy icon.

kristofferR 14y ago
They had to get it out by tomorrow, when Apple will release (or at least announce) iPhone 6 and iOS 6 without the Youtube app. This looks like a rush job, but they'll likely improve it quickly. The Google+ app was totally horrible in the beginning, but they quickly made it one of the best social networking apps on iOS.
- denzil_correa 14y ago
  That's the point! Is this a win-win situation for consumers or no?
vpdn 14y ago
They might have just set the priority differently, given the time and resource constraints.
mmackh 14y ago
The icon isn't as sloppy on the homescreen itself, in fact the whole app is done quite well. Native, fast and leap years ahead of m.youtube.com - I was hesitant at first to upgrade to iOS6, because of the removal, but now I'm confident enough that they'll pull of a better version for the iPad too.

Hopka 14y ago

Not available on the German App Store (yet).

aes256 14y ago

Not compatible with the iPhone 3G. Guess I'll stick with the built-in app then...

ihuman 14y ago
Its probably using APIs that aren't in 4.2.1.
mathieuh 14y ago
The dropping of the app from iOS 6 won't affect you anyway, your iPhone is stuck on iOS 4.

vpdn 14y ago

There seems to be currently two entries of the same story on the main page (http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4504246 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4504246). In case someone here has kids and would be interested: I'm creating ToddlerTube, a YouTube iPad app for young kids. If you have a few minutes, would be awesome if you could help fill out this three question survey: http://goo.gl/nYIGD http://goo.gl/nYIGD (Link to the other post: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4504690 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4504690)

JonLim 14y ago
Hey! Glad I randomly found this post. My baby cousins (I have around 6-7, and the number is quickly growing) are all huge fans of YouTube. Their parents teach them to search for appropriate things (Thomas the Train and Cars are popular searches) but I am sure they would love a version specifically for kids. I'm not sure if I should fill out your form, or if you'd like me to ask the parents and see what their answers would be. I often forget about comments I make on HN, so hit me on twitter @jonlim or my email in my profile. Cheers!

breakall 14y ago

But where is the new Google Voice Search for iOS app? The new Search app was supposed to rival Siri. The big tech press splash was weeks ago and claimed it would be out in days! Is Apple embargoing it like they held back the Google Voice for iOS app?

kodisha 14y ago

I couldn't find it via search (croatian store) but i followed link from this article to the app store, and installed it without any problems

bookwormAT 14y ago

What do iOS users think about the design of the app? I'm asking because from screenshots and a video, it looks the design is a close copy from the Android app. How do users accept common patterns like Actionbar or Slideout Menu on an iPhone?

ConstantineXVI 14y ago
The slide-out menu pattern showed up on both platforms mostly simultaneously (think Facebook may have been an early adopter). Also, it doesn't seem to follow the action bar pattern any more than other iOS apps do. Back and search buttons in the title bar has been an iOS convention since the dawn of the OS. Visually, it is adopting a similar "flat" design to Holo (as has Google+ on iOS), not sure how I feel about that but I'm not a primary user of iOS so my opinion is mainly moot there.
geon 14y ago
I think YouTube borrowed the menu-behind-the-content-when-it-slides-to-the-right from Facebook. Anyway, that's where I first saw it. Design-wise, it looks pretty much like the new mobile website.
- christensen_emc 14y ago
  The menu behind the content UI Pattern is actually one of the suggested UI patterns in the official Android style guide.
  - Zev 14y ago
    Do you know when this UI pattern was added to the style guide? Because, FWIW, webOS had something similar with sliding, over a year ago, in their Maps app.
  - geon 14y ago
    Ah. Found it (they call it "drawers"). http://developer.android.com/design/patterns/actionbar.html http://developer.android.com/design/patterns/actionbar.html

geon 14y ago

And about time, too. The old youtube app was the worst of the built in apps.

deleted 14y ago
[deleted]

Herald_MJ 14y ago

I would have thought this would be much lower priority than a Google Maps native app for iOS, which also will be missing from iPhones when iOS 6 launches.

mbell 14y ago
I doubt the teams overlap so priority isn't material to which is released first.
- boundlessdreamz 14y ago
  Yes. From what I have read youtube is run like a different company
Splines 14y ago
Just guessing, but maybe they finished sooner? It's also possible the native maps app is going through significant changes and they plan to launch when iOS 6 launches.

rafkin98 14y ago

It seems that AirPlay is not built-in...

chrishan 14y ago

Does it support offline view?