Devices running Windows Phone 8.1 like the Lumia 520 have a very controlled history with YouTube. More specifically, they had trouble with their YouTube app. Today, there is no official YouTube app available for devices running Windows Phone, but luckily there are ways to get around this.
Microsoft has stepped in to try and provide a good YouTube app for Windows Phone users. Last summer, the company introduced an upgraded YouTube app that includes many of the features Windows Phone 8 users have been asking for. Unfortunately, Google later sent the company a takedown notice asking for the app to be removed.
That app hasn’t arrived yet. However, upgraded apps from Windows Phone developers and new features in the free Windows Phone 8.1 update that will soon start shipping to Nokia Lumia, Samsung and HTC Windows Phone users will add a few new tricks to watching YouTube videos comfortably on Windows. Telephone.
Watching YouTube Videos on an App
There are several apps that allow users to watch YouTube videos directly.
TubePro seems to be a favorite of Windows Phone users who are hoping not to spend money on the app to watch a service that should be free to access almost anywhere. TubePro It allows users to browse their subscriptions and browse playlists of their favorite videos. It also allows users to download certain videos for later offline playback. Again, since TubePro is free for everyone to download, Windows Phone 8.1 users don’t have much of a risk if Google suddenly decides to block it, as Microsoft did with the YouTube app.
Tube Pro for Windows Phone
For those comfortable with investing some money in a YouTube app for Windows Phone, there are two very good apps to consider purchasing: newcomer Toib and MetroTube.
toib allows users to browse and search YouTube videos and includes buffer support so users can quickly share their favorites with friends. There are no video downloads, but it more than makes up for it with a simple-to-use interface and customizable live tiles for different channels. It costs 0.99 cents in the Windows Phone Store, but users can download the app to their Windows Phone now and enjoy a free trial.
Toib for Windows Phone
One of the longest serving YouTube apps MetroTube for Windows Phone. This app includes video comments, subscriptions, and video browsing features, and also supports Windows Phone 8.1 unique features like transparent Live Tiles. YouTube changed its service and broke the app several times. Still, MetroTube’s developers have kept it updated and it works flawlessly. MetroTube is available as a $0.99 purchase or as a trial version that lets users mess around with the app as much as they want.
MetroTube for Windows Phone.
Both apps you choose are good. All working for now.
Third-party apps are a thing, but since none of the YouTube apps for Windows Phone are endorsed by Google or YouTube, visiting YouTube’s mobile website is the safest long-term solution to watch YouTube videos on Windows Phone.
On Windows Phone 8, users can tap YouTube videos in Internet Explorer and instantly take over the screen and start playing. Windows Phone 8.1 takes this capability and makes it more useful.
For starters, users only get a full-screen experience if they want to. So users who prefer not to have to switch between a video player and YouTube’s actual site are better off. Using YouTube’s mobile website gives users access to channel controls, Watch Later queue, message inbox, and view histories. Users can also manage their subscriptions there.
This is a mobile site which means users have given up some functionality. Flagging, commenting, and sharing videos all work here, but absolutely no YouTube video uploads. Users who are going to visit YouTube’s mobile site to watch YouTube videos would better pin the site to their Start Screen by tapping the menu bar at the bottom of Internet Explorer for Windows Phone 8.
need to know
Before committing to using any of these methods, it’s important to understand their limitations. Just like YouTube’s mobile website isn’t a great alternative to a YouTube app, neither are third-party apps. For example, there is no YouTube video upload, which is a very important issue in this case.
Microsoft has fixed this issue by adding a file picker that allows Windows Phone devices to upload files via Internet Explorer. At a level that addresses the issue, except that users get stuck trying to navigate the desktop version of YouTube. This can be cumbersome.
It’s also important to remember that YouTube, like Microsoft’s YouTube app, can decide at any time to change its attitude towards third-party apps. All of a sudden, any of the apps mentioned here may stop working whether users pay the developer or not. If that worries you, stick with free YouTube app alternatives.
Enjoy watching.
