Generally, I like the YouTube app on the iPhone and iPad. But there are new things in iOS that YouTube just doesn’t seem to want to adopt. The chief of which being Picture in Picture mode. But there’s more. If you don’t like the YouTube app’s UI or the fact that you can’t force a default resolution for all videos, check out the apps below.
1. ProTube
ProTube is the best third party YouTube app choice for pro YouTube watchers. If you’re very particular about how you consume your media, ProTube will do you good.
Here’s why.
- You can use ProTube without ever logging into YouTube.
- The app lets you select a default resolution for every video. So you can force videos to load in full HD, always.
- The app supports Picture in Picture mode in iOS 9 (YouTube app doesn’t)
- You can listen to audio from YouTube videos in the background.
- ProTube’s built-in playlists feature is much better than YouTube’s. One of my biggest problems with the YouTube app is that when I add a video to Watch Later, it appears at the end of the list. Which is very annoying. ProTube fixes that.
Of course, not everything is perfect in ProTube world. YouTube is constantly trying to squash features from third party apps (ProTube had to remove offline functionality in the past). Right now, you need to login twice to YouTube, the second time so ProTube can use a workaround to get your subscriptions.
The UI is also different. It’s not necessarily bad or great. But it took me some time to get used to it.
Download: ProTube ($2.99)
2. YouPlayer
YouPlayer is like ProTube’s younger brother. Most of the features like PiP mode are there but I think YouPlayer has a much worse UI.
But it’s free (with ads). So if you’re looking for a strictly third-party YouTube client for stuff like Picture-in-Picture mode, give YouPlayer a shot.
Download: YouPlayer
3. CornerTube
This is a standalone application that solves just one problem – YouTube’s lack of Picture-in-Picture mode.
Once the app is installed, you can send a YouTube link to the app using the share extension or the Notification Center widget.
The video will now load in the native iOS player, which can be turned into a floating window.
Download: CornerTube ($1.99)
4. Vox
If you want to use YouTube as your music player, Vox is the best bet. The app costs $3.99 but every now and then it’s available for free.
Most of the apps that let you stream music from YouTube videos in the background are poorly designed and full of intrusive ads. Not Vox, though. Vox is beautiful and ad-free.
We’ve written a detailed guide on how to use the app here.
Download: Vox
5. Hyper
There’s so much awesome video content out there. Too much actually. Hyper is a beautiful video magazine app for iPhone and iPad that brings you 10 awesome videos every single day. Just 10 and that’s it. If you’re on Wi-Fi, the app will even download the videos for you every morning so you can watch them during your commute.
Download: Hyper
Your Favorite YouTube Channels?
What are some of your favorite YouTube channels. Currently, I’m on a Slow-mo Guys trip. Last Week Tonight Casey Neistat’s Vlogs have also become a staple diet. What about you? Share with us in the comments below.
