Offline Viewing Headed to YouTube Mobile Apps

Stuck in an area without Internet service? Not a problem. Soon, you'll still be able to watch your favorite YouTube videos.

"We're always exploring ways to bring more viewers to your content," the YouTube team wrote in a blog post. "As part of this effort, later this year we'll launch a new feature on YouTube's mobile apps that will help you reach fans — even when they're not connected to the Internet."

The new offline viewing feature, slated to launch in November, will let people download videos to their device that can be watched for a "short period" when an Internet connection is unavailable, YouTube said. This means your ability to watch videos will no longer be interrupted when, say, you go underground to catch a train.

The new feature comes after the Google-owned video-sharing service last month released a major update for its iOS and Android apps. The updated apps added a "cleaner, simpler look" with a Google Now-like card design, as well as support for playlists and improved integration with connected TVs. Perhaps the coolest new feature, however, is the ability to continue watching a video while you browse in the app for another one to watch next, essentially letting you do two things at once.

Meanwhile, YouTube also recently launched paid channels as part of a new pilot program that gives content creators a new way to earn revenue from their videos. All paid channels offer a 14-day free trial, but users will need to pay a subscription fee of at least $0.99 to keep watching beyond that period.