YouTube is Google’s online video service. YouTube allows you to upload your own videos and watch millions of other people’s videos. Hundreds of thousands of new videos are posted to YouTube every day, so there’s always something to watch. In this explainer article you can read all about YouTube and what you can do with it on the iPhone, iPad and Mac.
- Explanation
- Official app
- AppleTV
- YouTube Premium
- YouTube Music
- YouTube Creator Studio
- Alternative YouTube apps
- tips
What is YouTube?
YouTube is by far the most popular video website in the world and was founded in 2005 by three former PayPal employees: Chad Hurley, Steve Chen and Jawed Karim. In 2006, YouTube was acquired by Google, replacing Google Videos. Over the years, YouTube has grown into the largest video network in the world, where anyone can post his or her own videos. So you don’t have to be a professional filmmaker: anyone can open a channel and post videos.
Download the YouTube app on iPhone and iPad?
You can watch YouTube videos in the Safari browser on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. In addition, there is an official YouTube app that you can download from the App Store. This also works on the Apple TV.
When you install and launch the YouTube app on your iPhone or iPad, you’ll see a list of popular videos in various categories. You can also search for videos on a specific topic. If you have your own account and are subscribed to all kinds of channels, you can find them in the YouTube app via the Subscriptions button. You can create YouTube playlists, watch top rated videos and browse past videos.
Once you choose a video, it will play at the top of the screen. Tilting your device switches the video to full-screen mode. You can make the playback window smaller, so that you can search for the next video in the meantime. There are also short standing videos in the Shorts tab these days.
With the control buttons you can bookmark the video, rewind or fast forward, pause or play the video on the television with AirPlay. You do need an Apple TV for AirPlay. The app also works with Chromecast so that you can send the image to your television.
Initially, the YouTube app was also included as standard on the iPhone and iPad, but since iOS 6 you have to install the app manually via the App Store.
YouTube on the Apple TV
You can also use YouTube on Apple TV. On Apple TV 4th generation and newer, you can install the official YouTube app from the App Store. Through this app you can watch all your favorite videos, browse your subscriptions and manually find the latest videos. If you’ve already installed the YouTube app on an iPhone or iPad, you’ll easily find it on Apple TV with your previous purchases.
On the third generation Apple TV you will find a YouTube channel, which also gives you access to all your videos (however, this no longer works on the Apple TV 1 and 2). You will also find a separate app for YouTube on most smart TVs and game consoles.
What is YouTube Premium?
YouTube Premium is the paid version of YouTube. YouTube Premium offers all kinds of extra options, such as playing videos in the background, the ability to download YouTube videos and watch without ads. YouTube Premium was announced in October 2015 as YouTube Red. Since August 2018, YouTube Premium can also be used in the Netherlands and Belgium.
YouTube Premium costs €11.99 per month. You also get immediate access to YouTube Music, YouTube’s streaming music service. If you are with more people, you can also take out the family package for YouTube Premium extra cheaply. This costs €17.99 per month. A 3-month trial period is available for the individual package. You can try the family version free of charge for one month.
So the benefits of YouTube Premium are as follows:
- Watch YouTube ad-free
- Save videos offline
- Play in background
- Original series and movies only for Premium members
- Includes YouTube Music
| Bundle | through web | via app |
|---|---|---|
| YouTube Music Premium | €9.99 | €12.99 |
| YouTube Music Premium family | €14.99 | €19.99 |
| YouTube Premium | €11.99 | €15.99 |
| YouTube Premium family | €17.99 | €22.99 |
What is YouTube Music?
YouTube Music is YouTube’s music service. With this you not only listen to the official tracks, but also to remixes and live performances. You can choose from two variants: free and paid. YouTube Music is therefore a competitor for Spotify and Apple Music and is distinguished by the large selection.
The free version has some limitations, such as advertising. You will also not be able to store music offline or play it in the background. If you want that, you have to pay a fixed amount from € 9.99 for YouTube Music Premium. The app therefore simply works in the background and you can take all your music with you offline.
YouTube Music Premium is also available in a family pack for $14.99. You can then listen to unlimited music with a maximum of six people. To use the family functions, the family members must live at the same address. For additional features, you can combine YouTube Music Premium with YouTube Premium, as discussed above. For a few euros extra per month you can watch and listen to YouTube unlimited and ad-free
What is YouTube Creator Studio?
YouTube Creator Studio is intended to make it easier to manage your own YouTube channel. The app shows the statistics and gives you the option to manage comments and decide which notifications you want to receive. This app is therefore not intended to create videos yourself. The previously mentioned YouTube Capture app is intended for this. YouTube Creator Studio lets you manage your video’s settings, statistics, and details.
Alternative YouTube apps
If you don’t like the default YouTube app, there are many other options. Multiple third-party developers have developed alternative iPhone YouTube apps. One app also lets you create playlists without an account, while the other has a separate section for children. For example, there are also all kinds of apps for the iPad that make it possible to watch YouTube videos in Picture-in-Picture mode. This allows you to watch a YouTube video on your iPad while you can continue to use other apps.
A disadvantage is that YouTube often quickly blocks such apps, so you can only enjoy them for a short time.
https://www.iculture.nl/gids/alternatieve-youtube-apps/
More useful YouTube tips
We have listed various YouTube tips for you in separate articles. Below is a selection from the selection:
- Here’s how to create YouTube playlists on iPhone and iPad
- This is how the YouTube app can remind you of breaks
- Watch YouTube videos offline on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch
- YouTube introduces dark mode on iPhone and iPad: this is how you set it up
- This way, you can fast-forward and rewind a YouTube video by ten seconds
If you are looking for the best tips for YouTube on iPhone, we also have a separate list for that
