Master the YouTube app
Discover how to watch videos, subscribe to channels, and more
REQUIRES > The YouTube app, a Google account, an iPad, iOS 7 or later, and a web connection
LEVEL > Easy
IT WILL TAKE > 15 minutes
There are apps, there are popular apps, and then there is YouTube. YouTube is a true giant of the internet. It’s estimated that hundreds of hours of video are uploaded to the service every minute of the day. Although much of the content it hosts is throwaway, YouTube has plenty to offer as a TV replacement. There are countless music videos, clips from TV shows, movies, tutorials, and, most importantly, people playing Kraftwerk covers on the ukulele.
Although it’s not mandatory, having a Google account is a smart move when using YouTube, because this personalizes the experience, enabling you to create playlists and subscribe to channels you enjoy. It also gives you access to content you’ve bought on Google Play, which you can find lurking in the Purchases section of the Account tab in the app. When it comes to using the app itself, you’ll find YouTube friendly, but it’s also a very “Google” product. The company has a tendency to do its own thing, and also to hide important functionality.
On the former, you’ll see that the player is proprietary, and so doesn’t support iOS picture-in-picture on iPad. (YouTube’s own equivalent works only within the app.) It does now support Split View, though. Regarding hidden options, tap a video and then the vertical threedot icon to access settings for playback quality, closed captions (when available), and the means to report a video for rights infringement, abuse, spam, or playback issues.
Note, though, that YouTube does support AirPlay. Simply tap the AirPlay button to the right of the video’s playback bar, and then where you want the video to be sent.
Having said that, if you have a compatible television, you can use the TV connect button to the left of the playlist button. We tried this on a Samsung TV with standard YouTube videos and also with purchased content, and it’s somewhat quicker than firing up an Apple TV and sending a movie to your big screen using AirPlay. It also supports Chromecast – again, just tap the Cast icon to use it.