Soon you could watch YouTube even when you're OFFLINE: Video giant announces plans to let people view clips anywhere

YouTube is working on plans to let people view videos through its mobile app even when they don't have an internet connection.

The feature, rumoured to be launching from November, will let users add videos to their smartphones or tablets when they're online, to watch at a later time offline.


YouTube said that the videos will be available for a ‘short period’ and according to All Things D this could be as much as 48 hours.

It is not clear whether the videos will be available as a temporary download and removed once the 48 hours has expired - similar to how the BBC handles offline shows on the iPlayer - or cached.

The group announced the feature as part of its ongoing updates to its mobile app.

The latest development is a major move for the company as downloading video is against its terms of service.

Last year, the group dabbled in offline viewing by allowing Android users to pre-cache their favourite channels for viewing later.

At the moment, to load videos in a queue for viewing later, users must first be connected to the internet.

YouTube would not comment on the exact date of launch.