YouTube is one of the most popular online platforms for watching and sharing videos, but its official app for Android has some limitations and drawbacks that may frustrate some users. For example, the app shows ads before and during the videos, requires Google account for some features, and does not allow users to download videos for offline viewing.
However, there is an alternative app that aims to provide a better YouTube experience on Android: SkyTube. SkyTube is a third-party YouTube app that is free, open source, and does not depend on Google Apps. SkyTube offers many features that are missing or restricted in the official app, such as:
- Ad-blocking: SkyTube blocks unwanted ads that interrupt the video playback, saving data and battery.
- Video downloading: SkyTube allows users to download videos in various resolutions and formats, and watch them offline anytime.
- Channel/video blocking: SkyTube lets users block videos or channels that they do not want to see, based on various criteria such as language, views, dislikes, etc.
- Video swipe controls: SkyTube enables users to adjust the volume, brightness, comments, and video description by swiping on the screen.
- Bookmarking: SkyTube lets users bookmark videos that they want to watch later, and sync them across devices.
- Subscription importing: SkyTube allows users to import their subscriptions from YouTube, and get non-intrusive notifications for new videos.
- Playlist playing: SkyTube can play channels' playlists, and shuffle or repeat them as desired.
- Video speed control: SkyTube can play the video faster or slower than live, with adjustable pitch correction.
- Video thumbnails: SkyTube can view and download video thumbnails, which can be useful for previewing or sharing videos.
SkyTube is compatible with Android 4.4 or later, and does not require a Google or YouTube account to operate. SkyTube is also multilingual, and supports translation by volunteers. Visit skytubeapk.com to download official SkyTube Apk, a repository of free and open source Android apps, or from GitHub, where the source code and the latest updates can be found. SkyTube is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0, which means that anyone can use, modify, and distribute it freely.
SkyTube is a copylefted libre software that respects the users' privacy and freedom. SkyTube does not spy on the users' behavior, and does not collect or share any personal data. SkyTube is a community-driven project that welcomes contributions from anyone who wants to improve it. SkyTube is a YouTube player that allows users to watch YouTube videos the way they want, without any ads or restrictions. SkyTube is a better way to watch YouTube on Android.