YouTube introduces video offline playback for Android

Google has introduced offline video playback for YouTube mobile users. This feature is only available on Android devices in India, Indonesia and the Philippines for now and Google is not giving a time for when it will roll out to other places.

Videos that support playback will include an offline icon which offers a choice of playback. Once cached, the videos selected for offline playback will be available to watch without internet access for up to 48 hours.

Google explained on its blog why the service is being released in Asia

Asia has proven itself to be a mobile-first world in terms of smartphone adoption, but access to high-speed, affordable data remains a big challenge. In response, we’ve been working on ways to lessen the demands of speed and data for people using our products in places where there are challenges to access.

Though there has been no mention of when the service will reach other countries, it is exciting to think that in the future you’ll be able to watch movies on YouTube without depleting your data.