YouTube to Add Offline Viewing to Mobile Apps

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YouTube will add an offline mode viewing option to its mobile applications in November.

At the moment to view videos on YouTube on a mobile device, you have to be connected to some sort of Internet connection. That will change in November, however, with YouTube revealing plans to add a new offline mode to its applications.

It's unclear exactly how it will work, but YouTube said that the feature will let users watch videos for a "short time" without a 3G, 4G or WiFi connection, likely by allowing users to download and store videos on their smartphone, tablet, or laptop.

It's also unclear for how long users will be able to save content, although 48 hours is doing the rounds in the rumor mill at present.

Google said on the YouTube Creators Blog:

We're always exploring ways to bring more viewers to your content. As part of this effort, later this year we'll launch a new feature on Youtube's mobile apps that will help you reach fans - even when they're not connected to the internet.

This upcoming feature will allow people to add videos to their device to watch for a short period of time when an internet connection is unavailable. So your fans' ability to enjoy your videos no longer has to be interrupted by something as commonplace as a morning commute.

The offline mode likely will be added to YouTube's iOS and Android apps, with Windows Phone and Blackberry still lacking an official YouTube app.

This article was originally published on Search Engine Watch.