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Tech News
A new explainer outlines how major streaming platforms handle offline downloads, noting that Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+ and YouTube support downloading content for offline viewing on desktop and laptop computers. Netflix and several other services, by contrast, now limit offline downloads mostly to mobile devices and Chromebooks. Crunchyroll offers downloads for its anime library, but only on mobile.
In its Q3 2026 earnings report, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai said combined YouTube Music and YouTube Premium subscribers have surpassed 150 million worldwide, up from 125 million reported earlier this year. The figure includes users on free trials, consistent with how the prior count was calculated.
T-Mobile has introduced three new "T-Mix" wireless plans—Standard, More, and Loaded—that let customers bundle service with subscriptions such as Netflix, Apple TV, YouTube Premium, and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Pricing starts at $55/month for Standard with one swappable perk, rising to $95/month for Loaded, which allows up to three perks per line across the first three lines, capped at 11 total. Subscribers can change their chosen "Picks" up to four times a year without affecting the plan's cost.
According to the Wall Street Journal, YouTube is negotiating with publishers and could launch an audiobooks feature as early as next year. The report says YouTube has discussed bundling the feature into its $16-a-month ad-free Premium subscription, though pricing and whether individual books would be sold remain unsettled. YouTube has not confirmed the plans.
YouTube Music is rolling out two updates: a new AI-audio feature called 'your podcast lineup' that gives spoken previews and reasons for recommended podcasts, and expanded capabilities for its Ask Music assistant, letting users customize their listening queue and get more details about artists. Both features will roll out worldwide soon and are available to regular app users and YouTube Premium subscribers.
Multiple Reddit users report that the YouTube mobile app is restricting their playback resolution to a maximum of 480p, even though the platform normally supports much higher quality up to 4K. The bug affects both free and Premium subscribers, ruling out a paywall restriction, and some reports date back roughly a month.
YouTube offers just one sanctioned method for downloading videos: a YouTube Premium subscription. Originally limited to mobile devices, the download feature has since expanded to desktop platforms after testing began in 2020. However, videos saved this way can only be viewed within the YouTube app and cannot be repurposed for editing or reuse elsewhere.
A tech writer subscribed to YouTube Premium Lite hoping for an ad-free experience without bundled services like YouTube Music, but found sponsored videos still appearing throughout the app on both TV and mobile after activation. Despite accepting that ads would remain on Shorts and music videos, they discovered sponsored placements interspersed regularly in their regular viewing feed as well, prompting them to cancel the subscription after just one month.
Google is letting eligible college students claim a full year of its $19.99-per-month AI Pro plan at no cost, provided they verify enrollment through SheerID. Buyers of certain hardware, including Chromebook Plus, standard Chromebooks, and the Pixel 11, also qualify for several months of free access, and some plans can be shared with others.