A small but helpful update has been released to the official YouTube app for Amazon Fire TVs, Fire TV Sticks, and Fire TV Edition televisions. The app is still essentially just a bookmark that opens YouTube in either the Silk Browser or Firefox, thanks to Google wanting to hurt Amazon, but now the app remembers which browser you last selected and makes sure to highlight that same choice the next time you open the app. There is no option to skip the browser selection screen and always load a specific browser, but at least now you won’t have to pause to check that your preferred browser is highlighted when using the app to access YouTube. Those of you who want to skip having to select a browser each time should use my Bookmarker for YouTube app instead, because it was made specifically for that purpose.
@AFTVnews
AFTVnews
So what’s the general consensus on an alternative? A different app or just use a downgraded version?
I personally still use the downgraded version since it still gives me everything I need. I’ve been meaning to breakdown all the various alternatives with their pros and cons, such as 4K and casting support, so hopefully I’ll have time for that soon. Many people seem to sideload an app called Smart YouTube TV, but I’ve read that it blocks at least some ads, which I’m personally against because that hurts the YouTubers that I enjoy more than anything.
Smart youtube app has some adds now. The beggining add but the adds that are in the middle of the videos are skipped.
Thanks.
It’s a shame Youtube Red is still limited to the US, I wouldn’t mind paying for it.
please don’t give YT bastards any money
just us ublock , pihole root and install xposed adaways whatever works for you but for the love of all that is decent do not give them any money
The problem is then the content creators get nothing and it includes google music.
The closest alternative would be patreon which would become impratical for me as I watch allot of youtube.
I also use various embedded devices which dont support adblock.
Additional:
I know youtube has its issues though.
why does it show up even if you don’t have firefox installed though? will it just redirect you to download the app if you accidentally select it?
It probably shows up to let people know they have options. Yes, selecting a browser you don’t have installed will launch the detail screen for the browser where you can download it.
Does this mean voice search works with YouTube again?
It has always worked, no? I’m pretty sure when this new “bookmark” version of the YouTube app came out in December I tried voice search and it worked correctly.
Either way, yes, you can use voice search and scroll to the bottom and select YouTube, then when you select the browser you want to use, the search will appear.
I use the app and applied the update and it’s a step in the right direction.
I don’t appreciate you making comments such as “thanks to Google wanting to hurt Amazon”. As far as we know, you weren’t involved in Google’s decisions and you don’t know what their intent was when they made this decision. Just because you don’t like their decision doesn’t necessarily make it a bad one nor does it mean that Google had malicious intent and wanted to “hurt Amazon”. Sometimes, it helps to understand another entity’s thought process when you can put yourself in their shoes and understand why they had to make the very difficult decisions that they made.
This is his site and he is entitled to his opinion, even without your approval.
Some people…
since when has Google ever not had malicious intent?
Ok. So what’s the reason that Google would threaten to block Amazon’s YouTube app that points to youtube.com/leanback without it being payback for Amazon deciding that they didn’t want to stock Google owned Nest products?
Amazon and Google have been sniping and attempting to hurt one another for years now. It’s a long-term war at this point.
https://www.tomsguide.com/us/amazon-stop-selling-nest-products-google,news-26721.html
What happens if I actually want to use Silk? I can’t figure out how to get it NOT automatically redirect to YouTube.