YouTube Discontinuing 3rd-Generation Apple TV App, AirPlay Still Available

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YouTube is planning to stop supporting its YouTube app on the third-generation Apple TV models, where YouTube has long been available as a channel option.

youtube apple tv
A 9to5Mac reader received a message about the upcoming app discontinuation, which is set to take place in March.

Starting early March, the YouTube app will no longer be available on Apple TV (3rd generation). You can still watch YouTube on Apple TV 4K, Apple TV HD, iPhone, or iPad. With AirPlay, you can also stream YouTube from your iOS device directly to any Apple TV (3rd generation or later).

Third-generation ‌Apple TV‌ owners will no longer be able to watch YouTube directly on the ‌Apple TV‌ after the app goes defunct, but YouTube content can be AirPlayed to the ‌Apple TV‌ from an iPhone or iPad, a method that is less convenient.

This discontinuation is applicable only to the third-generation Apple TVs, as YouTube stopped supporting the second-generation ‌Apple TV‌ models back in 2015. The fourth and fifth-generation ‌Apple TV‌ models are not impacted as these models have access to the tvOS App Store, which is not available on the third-generation ‌Apple TV‌.

Tag: YouTube

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Top Rated Comments

n0va Avatar
n0va
63 months ago
this makes me so sad and i dont even have a 3rd gen tv
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JoeShades Avatar
JoeShades
63 months ago

This does not make sense... Doesn't Apple TV third gen run exactly the same OS as Apple TV 4th gen and later? I would understand if they are stuck at older AppleTV OS, but that is not the case.
no
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
speg Avatar
speg
63 months ago
Why does it have to be removed? Can’t it just keep working without additional “support”?
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
John.B Avatar
John.B
63 months ago

Not the same is. Apple stops supporting 3rd gen Apple TV long ago.
Inaccurate.

TV+ channel support was added to the 3rd gen AppleTV one year ago. appleinsider.com/articles/19/05/13/apple-tv-channels-arrive-on-third-generation-apple-tv-and-in-tvos-123-update ('http://appleinsider.com/articles/19/05/13/apple-tv-channels-arrive-on-third-generation-apple-tv-and-in-tvos-123-update')

The 3rd gen AppleTV got an update to 7.6.2 just a few weeks ago; one of the fixes was for the YT video app. support.apple.com/en-us/HT202157 ('http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202157')
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TVreporter Avatar
TVreporter
63 months ago
Disappointing to hear - would it really take much to keep it supported? Sure you can’t watch 4K video on it but the bulk of the videos still offer lower quality settings.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rictus007 Avatar
rictus007
63 months ago
To be honest they provided support for quite a few years.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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