Apple: YouTube app will not be included in iOS 6, Google working on standalone version

Apple obviously did away with Google Maps in iOS 6, but another of the web giant's biggest properties won't be available as a default option, either. 9to5Mac noticed that the latest beta version of iOS 6 no longer includes the long-standard YouTube app, and Apple just told us that its license to include YouTube in iOS had expired. If you're a heavy YouTube user, fear not — Apple also confirmed that YouTube will work in Safari and also noted that Google is making a new YouTube app that will be available in the App Store.

It's not clear yet what caused this change — Apple may have grown tired of paying the Google license, or it may have simply wanted the iOS experience to be free of Google's apps out of the box. However, the end result may end up being better for consumers. The iOS YouTube app has languished for years without seeing any major improvements — but now Google can iterate and update its own YouTube app as it sees fit.
Apple's entire statement is below.

Our license to include the YouTube app in iOS has ended, customers can use YouTube in the Safari browser and Google is working on a new YouTube app to be on the App Store.

Update: Engadget has also heard from Apple and learned that while iOS 6 devices will lose the stock YouTube app, iOS 5 devices will not. It seems that either Google's licensing agreement permits it to stay on the older OS, Apple didn't want to go to the trouble to push out a point update that takes away a feature, or some combination of both.

Update 2: We just received a statement from Google in which the company reiterated its commitment to offering a YouTube app on the iOS platform. A YouTube spokesperson said that "we are working with Apple to ensure we have the best possible YouTube experience for iOS users" — a statement that reinforces our suspicion that the app will likely be updated a lot more frequently now that it isn't so tightly woven into Apple's OS.


source from:theverge.com