YouTube has been available as a PWA since January this year, and Google is currently running a YouTube Experiment which allows those with a YouTube Premium subscription to download YouTube videos for offline viewing on ChromeOS.
A YouTube experiment does not necessarily mean a feature will roll out, but ChromeUnboxed reports that Google appears to be pretty enthusiastic about the feature, according to a case study the company published.
In the case study Google writes:
Watching videos offline on laptops and hybrid devices was one of the top requested features from YouTube Premium users, and the YouTube team has already heard great feedback about the offline experience. With the new PWA, YouTube Premium users can get nonstop access to the content they love — even when they’re on the go. A user can download their favorite creator’s latest videos to watch on their Chromebook on a plane, in a coffee shop, or anywhere they might not have a stable internet connection.
And now, the PWA is quickly becoming Chromebook users’ primary destination for YouTube content.
The Download Video feature experiment is set to end on the 10th December, but Google touting it in a case study suggests to may end up being permanent.
The PWA is pretty powerful already, with support for voice search, keyboard shortcuts, declarative link capture, webshare and many more features.
It is however offline features that differentiates a website from an app, with Google recently saying:
We plan to raise the bar of the offline capability check. PWAs that don’t provide at least a basic offline experience, will not show the install prompts.
Hopefully, Google will remain true to this statement and offer true offline capabilities for their PWA (on both ChromeOS and Windows).
