Google plans to develop a new, dedicated app that will sell through Apple’s App Store

Aug 7, 2012 06:39 GMT  ·  By

The latest iOS beta removes the dedicated YouTube app for playing videos on the go. Both the iPhone and the iPad versions of iOS 6 are letting YouTube go, in what seems to be Apple’s last effort to pull away from Google services in its mobile operating system.

Owned by Google, the popular video streaming service YouTube is no longer part of iOS. At least that’s what the fourth iOS 6 beta said after hitting the servers yesterday.

Some initially suggested it could well be a bug, since the software still allowed users to upload videos to YouTube via its social ties. However, many believed this was Apple’s last major move to reduce its dependency on Google services. And it is.

The Cupertino giant itself has confirmed in a statement that the removal of YouTube from iOS was intentional.

Apple told The Verge, “Our license to include the YouTube app in iOS has ended, customers can use YouTube in the Safari browser and Google is working on a new YouTube app to be on the App Store.”

Also, a YouTube representative told 9to5mac, “We are working with Apple to ensure we have the best possible YouTube experience for iOS users.”

Finally, Apple also said that, while iOS 6 would no longer offer the dedicated YouTube app, iOS 5 would, according to Engadget.

Apple pundit John Gruber, of Daring Fireball, believes Apple fans shouldn’t be alarmed by the change.

“No one (outside Google and Apple) knows what the previous licensing terms were, and no one knows what terms (if any) were proposed going forward. And for that matter, I don’t think anyone should assume that the YouTube experience on iOS is necessarily going to be worse without this app built in.”

Well, not if Google packs it to the rafters with ads.