YouTube discontinues its iMessage app for iPhone, iPad users
What's the story
YouTube used to be one of the applications that seamlessly integrated with Apple's messaging app. However, it appears that the company has opted to terminate its iMessage mini-app.
As per 9to5Mac, YouTube has discontinued its iMessage app for iPhone and iPad users.
The newest version of the YouTube app for iOS (19.01.1), released on January 10, quietly removed the iMessage app, with the update notes only mentioning bug fixes and improved performance.
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It allowed seamless video watching within Messages app
YouTube's iMessage mini-app allowed users to search for and send YouTube videos directly from a chat without leaving the Messages app.
Additionally, those who had it installed could watch videos using the native YouTube player right within the chat.
However, after updating to the latest version of the YouTube app from the App Store, the iMessage mini-app is no longer available for iOS and iPadOS users.
Details
iMessage mini-app for YouTube came in 2017
The iMessage mini-app for YouTube debuted in October 2017, a year after the introduction of the iMessage App Store.
Although several iMessage apps still exist, they never gained widespread popularity.
Numerous iMessage apps have been discontinued in recent times. While YouTube has not officially confirmed the removal of its iMessage mini-app, it appears to be the case.