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Removal of Built-in YouTube App in iOS 6 Was YouTube's Decision to 'Take Back Control of Our App'

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In August 2012, iOS users began noticing that the default YouTube app had been removed from Apple's software in iOS 6 Beta 4, becoming permanent with the public debut of the software in the fall of 2012. For the five years prior, YouTube was a mainstay on the iPhone, launching as a default app on iPhone OS as far back as the original iPhone in 2007.

Animosity between Apple and many Android smartphone makers has been well-documented over the years, becoming abundant in 2012 through an ongoing lawsuit related to Apple's suing of Samsung for copying the iPhone design with Android devices, as well as an Apple lawsuit aimed at Google-owned Motorola focusing on Slide-to-Unlock.

Now, in a series of Tweets, former YouTube employee Hunter Walk has said that it was YouTube and Google's decision not to renew an agreement with Apple for YouTube on iOS, so that the company could "take back control of our app" (via Business Insider).

youtube-logo.jpg

...2012 iOS6, time for YouTube to take back control of our app, which was still Apple-created. Made gutsy move to not renew agreement... - Hunter Walk (@hunterwalk) June 30, 2017
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Walk sent out nearly one dozen Tweets on the topic last night, starting off by explaining how Apple approached Google for YouTube on the first iPhone, Apple's control of building the app, the lack of an official "YouTube" name on the icon, and the overall success of the app as a way to entice customers to buy an iPhone for video streaming.

When the license agreements ended five years later in 2012, Walk said YouTube's time to take back the app came, so the company -- "still operating pretty independently from GOOG at that time" -- made its move. Walk went on to Tweet that the decision paid off, with most consumers reinstalling the YouTube app from the iOS App Store upon noticing that the default app had disappeared.

The former YouTube employee ended his series of Tweets, which he said was possible because the "statue of limitations on any nondisclosures" had expired, by stating that this period of YouTube was "one of the most interesting & consequential series of product decisions during my time at YouTube," emphasizing that it was, "Not w/o controversy internally."

Google remains the default search engine on iOS devices, and in 2016 it came to light that Google paid Apple $1 billion in 2014 to retain that status on iPhones and iPads. In 2012, Apple removed another default Google app from iPhone -- Google Maps -- and replaced it with Apple Maps in iOS 6.

Article Link: Removal of Built-in YouTube App in iOS 6 Was YouTube's Decision to 'Take Back Control of Our App'
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2017/06/30/youtube-app-take-back-control/
Interesting and for the best I'd say. With the going away of 3rd party social integration on the system level with iOS 11 I'd guess that it was only a matter of time anyway.
 
Dragon Ball Super: GodTube

I do hate YouTube's (whatever algorithm based) automatic quality selection. Always have to manually slide up the quality (especially on Wifi).
 
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I mean, I always assumed it was something like this. Doesn't seem super newsworthy, but whatever. At least the app we have today is much better, but Google still limits it on iOS.

Unlike YouTube, however, I always assumed that Apple replaced Google Maps with Apple Maps because Google was holding back a lot of their features. For instance, Android had turn by turn directions. Have any employees come forward to talk about that? It was also about five years ago, so maybe those NDAs are expired too.
 
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The stand-alone YouTube app has had its ups and downs, but all-in-all it has been an uphill journey. The app today is way better than it ever could have been under Apple's control.
 
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omihek said:
The stand-alone YouTube app has had its ups and downs, but all-in-all it has been an uphill journey. The app today is way better than it ever could have been under Apple's control.
Click to expand...

It's still missing one HUGE feature, and that is PiP support on iPad. With other video playing apps you can exit the app and keep watching the video in a window. YouTube purposefully blocked that for some reason.
 
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YouTube is a prime example of someone who's completely forgot where they came from. They were made by the people and could be just as easily left behind by the same. All this nonsense about not being able to play content in the background without paying is absolutely insane. Not to mention the loss of revenue for creators due to their own systems messing up constantly. They are extremely bloated now. I wish someone else would just copy their original concept, and get rid of all the corporate garbage they'd be so much more successful.
 
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tkukoc said:
YouTube is a prime example of someone who's completely forgot where they came from. They were made by the people and could be just as easily left behind by the same. All this nonsense about not being able to play content in the background without paying is absolutely insane. Not to mention the loss of revenue for creators due to their own systems messing up constantly. They are extremely bloated now. I wish someone else would just copy their original concept, and get rid of all the corporate garbage they'd be so much more successful.
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Except whoever would do that would most assuredly end up down the same rabbit hole.

In the end, the money always speaks the loudest.
 
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omihek said:
The stand-alone YouTube app has had its ups and downs, but all-in-all it has been an uphill journey. The app today is way better than it ever could have been under Apple's control.
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Lol, that is CRAZY talk!!!!
It was YouTube, minus the ads.... w/ a clean wrapper. You could play a video w/ the screen off!!
In a pig's eye is the purposefully hobbled, ad-filled "genuine" YT alternative as good as Apple's version.
 
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RedWing512 said:
Except whoever would do that would end up down the same rabbit hole.

In the end, the money always speaks the loudest.
Click to expand...
Doesn't always end up that way. But I know what you're saying. Wish they had some really strong competition. Just can't stand how completely one sided they've become. They are not looking at their own future at all.
 
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I still remember how alot of guys on MR were blaming apple for this ;)

But it was the right move. Apple should do the same with most of their own apps too.
 
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MacRumors said:
so that the company could "take back control of our app"
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I can completely understanding wanting control over your product/service, but this doesn't always make it better.

I wonder who has control of the ATV4 YouTube app? It is ridiculously limited. I thought the ATV3 version was pretty basic, but the ATV4 version is just barebones....
 
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I wish Apple would make all the built-in apps at least updateable on their own.

I hate the fact my older iPads will never get Safari security updates, for example. Even my old Android phones usually still get that kind of support for core apps. (Which is why it's so stupid when people try to compare Android and iOS update methods.)

macduke said:
Unlike YouTube, however, I always assumed that Apple replaced Google Maps with Apple Maps because Google was holding back a lot of their features. For instance, Android had turn by turn directions. Have any employees come forward to talk about that? It was also about five years ago, so maybe those NDAs are expired too.
Click to expand...

There were some leaks about why Google was holding back navigation. For one thing, just as with the YouTube icon, Apple didn't want any Google branding on the built-in Maps app, even in the corner of the maps.

OTOH, of course Google wanted the branding. (It used to have to have that branding, but Apple wanted it gone so people wouldn't be reminded of Google all the time.)

google_maps.png


Google also wanted to offer their Latitudes service where you could track friends and family, but Apple was about to put the same thing in iOS, and as we all know, Apple does not allow duplication of their features.
 
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Avieshek said:
Dragon Ball Super: GodTube

I do hate YouTube's (whatever algorithm based) automatic quality selection. Always have to manually slide up the quality (especially on Wifi).
Click to expand...

Yes, I have to do this on my 4K UHD TV as well, and it's running Android TV.

vertical smile said:
I can completely understanding wanting control over your product/service, but this doesn't always make it better.

I wonder who has control of the ATV4 YouTube app? It is ridiculously limited. I thought the ATV3 version was pretty basic, but the ATV4 version is just barebones....
Click to expand...

They don't seem to even be able to get it worked out with their own Android TV operating system either. For some bizarre reason, the YouTube app does not support HDR video streams on Android TV.
 
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