- Users have seen a new feature that allows free YouTube users to download videos for offline view
- It’s the first major upgrade for free users -The feature has been exclusive for YouTube -Premium — Subscribers so far
- However, it comes with several restrictions including video download quality
I have been using YouTube for free for years while I have a lingering desire to upgrade to YouTube -Premium, and now the platform has calmly rolled a feature for free users who have been exclusive to pay subscribers for years.
The video sharing service has introduced a new download feature, which is the first major upgrade for free users. It was first stained by a user on Reddit (see below) and allows free users to download YouTube videos and watch them without an internet connection.
New feature that allows users to download videos without prize (don’t know the best quality) from R/YouTube
In addition to video transfers, the YouTube Premium subscribers have had access to an abundance of additional benefits, such as access to ad-free content and playback of images in the image. The company also recently relaunched its YouTube Premium Lite Tier, which offers only subscribers ad-free viewing.
If you use YouTube’s free version and have considered upgrading to Premium that I have, this feature may be a good reason to stick to the free plan for a little longer. However, the new downloads come in the free version with a few catches.
Video quality limits are the biggest backlash
Despite being a major upgrade for free users, the biggest limitation of the feature is the download quality. If you use the free version of YouTube, you can only download videos at 360p and 144p, which is Borderine -Wrapping compared to YouTube Premium’s 1080p and 720p solvency – but it doesn’t end there.
Payment of YouTube subscribers may reap the benefit of unlimited downloads, but if you use the free version, there is a uncovered limit on how many videos you can download, even if what this cap will be ready.
Since YouTube Premium Lite Tier only offers ad-free viewing to some videos and not an opportunity to download videos, signing up for the cheapest plan, you are not currently giving access to download-yourself the limited downloads rolled out for free users, YouTube may also plan to roll the Premium Lite subscribers feature.
The last catch is that music videos are excluded from free downloads and that you will still be asked to upgrade to YouTube Premium if you want to take advantage of this feature. This is especially disappointing, especially if you are addicted to YouTube for music video playback as opposed to music flow services that I personally do.
With that said, the setbacks that come with YouTube’s latest upgrade come not too much of a surprise, even if they are rather limited. YouTube had to start somewhere with its first big upgrade for free users and I hope it will improve it offers over time.
Is it enough for you to hold you to YouTube’s free version? Or do you still want to consider upgrade to premium? Tell us that in the comments.
