The YouTube iOS app today was updated to version 12.38, bringing a swipe-to-remove gesture for videos in playlists, as well as introducing support for iMessage. After updating the app you should see YouTube appear as a new icon in your Messages app drawer, and after tapping on it you can scroll to view your recently-watched videos, search YouTube for a specific video, and tap to send it to a friend.

imessage youtube app
After sharing the video, YouTube links work the same as they did before, with the ability to watch the videos directly within Messages without having to leave the app, but there is a new player for content sent through the Messages app. You can tap on a video and it will open up into a full-screen player with playback controls, a watch later button, recommended videos, and an "open app" button to jump directly to YouTube.

Prior to today's update, to share a YouTube video in Messages you had to find it in the YouTube app, tap the share button, choose Messages, and then type in a contact. You could also copy the video link and paste it into the text message field within Messages.

Check out our guide on iOS 11's Messages app drawer redesign if you aren't familiar with navigating the updated section of Apple's texting app.

Tag: YouTube

Top Rated Comments

LordQ Avatar
108 months ago
This is nice, wish more people used iMessage and less WhatsApp.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
deany Avatar
108 months ago
Youtube is great (with adguard), haven't watch TV in 7 years.
What an inspired purchase by google https://www.macrumors.com/2006/10/09/google-acquires-youtube/, and a snip at the price. Article by Arnie before he semi-retired with his millions! good on him.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mfvisuals Avatar
108 months ago
So they're adding these features, but still forcing a paywall for trivial features such as being able to play the audio from videos in the background when switching to other apps. I understand that a lot of people use that feature to listen to music through the app. However, for those of us who like to listen to news shows and be able to switch to other apps while listening, this is incredibly annoying.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sza Avatar
108 months ago
Still no picture in picture?
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SoundJudgment Avatar
108 months ago
If Apple would get off their high-horse and simply allow Google's VP9 Codec usage natively in iOS and Safari... there would be less complications in YouTube support.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Nothlit Avatar
108 months ago
Never had an issue with YouTube or AirPods. Works perfectly for me
It can be hard to notice with just spoken voices, but anything percussive (hammers, drums, knocking, doors slamming, etc.) you can tell. The audio is late. There are also lots of helpful sync test (click track) videos on YouTube. I have played several of them in the app and also in Safari. In the app, sync is off by 100-200 milliseconds. In Safari on the YouTube web site, exact same video, sync is fine. Clearly the issue is with the YouTube app.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iphone 17 models

No iPhone 18 Launch This Year, Reports Suggest

Thursday January 1, 2026 8:43 am PST by
Apple is not expected to release a standard iPhone 18 model this year, according to a growing number of reports that suggest the company is planning a significant change to its long-standing annual iPhone launch cycle. Despite the immense success of the iPhone 17 in 2025, the iPhone 18 is not expected to arrive until the spring of 2027, leaving the iPhone 17 in the lineup as the latest...
apple intelligence black

Report: Apple's AI Strategy Could Finally Pay Off in 2026

Tuesday December 30, 2025 9:01 am PST by
Apple's restrained artificial intelligence strategy may pay off in 2026 amid the arrival of a revamped Siri and concerns around the AI market "bubble" bursting, The Information argues. The speculative report notes that Apple has taken a restrained approach with AI innovations compared with peers such as OpenAI, Google, and Meta, which are investing hundreds of billions of dollars in data...
apple fitness 2026 1

Apple Teases 'Something Big' Coming Soon to Apple Fitness+

Tuesday December 30, 2025 2:11 pm PST by
The Apple Fitness+ Instagram account today teased that the service has "big plans" for 2026. In a video, several Apple Fitness+ trainers are shown holding up newspapers with headlines related to Apple Fitness+. What's Apple Fitness+ Planning for the New Year? Something Big is Coming to Apple Fitness+ The Countdown Begins. Apple Fitness+ 2026 is Almost Here 2026 Plans Still Under ...
iphone 17 pro dark blue 1

iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max Users Report Static Speaker Noise While Charging

Tuesday December 30, 2025 10:39 am PST by
iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max owners are having trouble with the speakers of their devices, and have complained about a static or hissing noise that occurs when the iPhone is charging. There are multiple discussions about the issue on Reddit, the MacRumors forums, and Apple's Support Community, where affected users say there is a noticeable static noise "like an old radio." Some people report...
maxresdefault

Hands-On With a Rough iPhone Fold Mockup

Monday December 29, 2025 10:55 am PST by
Apple is rumored to be introducing a foldable iPhone in September 2026, and since it will bring the biggest form factor change since the iPhone was introduced in 2007, curiosity about the design is high. A 3D designer created an iPhone Fold design based on rumors, and we printed it out to see how it compares to Apple's current iPhones. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more ...
maxresdefault

Where's the New Apple TV?

Monday December 22, 2025 11:30 am PST by
Apple hasn't updated the Apple TV 4K since 2022, and 2025 was supposed to be the year that we got a refresh. There were rumors suggesting Apple would release the new Apple TV before the end of 2025, but it looks like that's not going to happen now. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said several times across 2024 and 2025 that Apple would...
Mac Pro Feature Blue

What's Happening With the Mac Pro?

Wednesday December 31, 2025 9:59 am PST by
Apple hasn't updated the Mac Pro since 2023, and according to recent rumors, there's no update coming in the near future. In fact, Apple might be finished with the Mac Pro. Bloomberg recently said that the Mac Pro is "on the back burner" and has been "largely written off" by Apple. Apple apparently views the more compact Mac Studio as the ideal high-end pro-level desktop, and it has almost...
macbook air march 2020

Apple Says Final Intel MacBook Air and Apple Watch Series 5 Now 'Vintage'

Wednesday December 31, 2025 8:39 am PST by
Apple today added the final 13-inch MacBook Air powered by Intel processors, the Apple Watch Series 5, and additional products to its vintage products list. The iPhone 11 Pro was also added to the list after the iPhone 11 Pro Max was added back in September. The full list of products added to Apple's vintage and obsolete list today: MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2020) iPhone 8 Plus 128GB ...