When Google unveiled the first batch of Android One devices in India in September this year, it also revealed that it will be bringing offline playback to YouTube app for Android in India. True to its words, the company has finally enabled the feature in India along with Indonesia and the Philippines.
The option is already available in the YouTube for Android app for all Indian users for videos that support this feature. Once the videos have been saved on the device, you will be able to view the videos unlimited number of times for 48 hours hours without an active Internet connection. Google is also allowing you to specify the quality of the video you want to download, which is a nice touch.
Keep in mind though that it is up to the content providers to enable or disable support of offline playback of their videos. Nevertheless, most of the popular local content providers in India like T-Series, Saregama and Yashraj Films already support offline viewing of their videos.
Even though India is one of the fastest growing smartphone market in the world, access to high-speed and reliable Internet connection still remains a challenge in smaller cities. Therefore, by adding support for offline viewing of videos, Google is allowing Indian users to enjoy their favorite videos anywhere without worrying about an active Internet connection.