How To Downgrade Youtube App (Detailed Guide)

YouTube, just like all other major apps, releases new updates from time to time to fix bugs, maintain security and to introduce new features.

But at the same time, the new updates can also introduce new bugs, change the user interface and remove certain features.

If the new update is causing bugs or took away one of your favorite features, you might be wondering – can I downgrade the Youtube app to the previous version?

Turns out, you can! And it’s super easy to do on Android.

Sadly, if you use an IPhone the process is a bit complicated and you need to jailbreak your phone.

In this post, I’ll show you how to downgrade Youtube app on both Android and IOS devices

Step 1: Uninstalling Updates

Before we can downgrade Youtube, you need to completely remove all its updates.

Because if you don’t uninstall updates, Android will not let you downgrade from a new version to an older one. You can only upgrade in Android.

⚡Also Read: Can I Close YouTube While Processing?

Here’s how to remove all updates:

1. Open the Google Play Store app.
2. Tap on the three horizontal dashes on the top-left corner
3. This will open up a menu. Tap on My Apps.
4. From the list find the YouTube app and tap on it.
5. Tap on the Uninstall button there. This will show you a pop up message asking if you want to uninstall all “updates”

Since Youtube comes pre installed and is considered as a system app on android, you cannot uninstall it. You can only remove all the updates you have made over the years.

6. Tap on Uninstall

Step 2: Downloading A Previous Version

Now that you basically factory reseted Youtube, you’ll end up with a super old version which might be buggy and also have security issues and a lot less features.

The UI would look completely different too.

So you need a new version. I recommend installing a version that is as up-to-date as possible.

This could be the version before the version that messed up the features you liked.

There are a ton of app repositories out there you can download previous Youtube app versions from, but I am going to use apk mirror here which is 100% safe and trusted.

1. Head over to the Youtube app page on apk mirror.
2. Find the stable version of the app that before the version you don’t like. Don’t download beta versions.
3. Tap on it. This will open the download page.
4. Tap on the large “Download APK” button. This will download the APK.

Note: Double check if the hardware requirements match your phone. Especially the chipset. If it doesn’t, scroll down and you will apk variations.

If you download the wrong version it will show you an error when you try to install it.

Step 3: Installing A Downgraded Youtube App

Now that we downloaded a previous version, all that’s left to do is install it. Here’s how:

1. Find the download APK and open it.
2. On the pop up that appears, tap on Install.
3. Give it a couple of minutes to install and It will show a pop up telling the installation is complete.

That’s it, you just learnt how to downgrade Youtube app!

⚡Also Read: Sort Youtube Comments By Oldest

Step 4: Disable Automatic App Update

Finally make sure to turn off Auto updates for the app. Or otherwise, Play Store will upgrade Youtube again to the latest version without you even knowing it.

Follow the steps below to turn off Automatic Updates:

1. Open the Google Play Store app
2. Go to My Apps and tap on Youtube
3. Tap on the 3 dots on the top right corner
4. Uncheck the “Enable auto updates” option

How To Downgrade Youtube App On IPhone / IOS

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Unfortunately for this to work, your IPhone needs to be jailbroken, and you need to install Cydia.

I am not going to cover how to do it here because there are a ton of great guides all over the internet, so please check out one of them.

After you do both of these, here’s how to downgrade Youtube on IOS:

Step 1 Install AppStore++

First up, you need to install Appstore++ which gives you the option to downgrade apps.

1. Go to CokePokes IOS repo and click on Cydia. This will open the install page in Cydia.
2. Tap on install. After it’s installed, open it.
3. Tap on the search button on the bottom right, and type in Appstore and select AppStore++ from the list.
4. Tap on install.
5. Restart the springboard and then open App Store

This should show you a pop up asking you to download logs. Accept it. Cancel any other pop ups that appear.

Step 2 Downgrading Youtube App

Now, all that’s left to do is downgrade the app.

1. Search for Youtube and tap on it.
2. Once you are on the app page, hold the update button for a few seconds. This will open a pop up giving you 3 options – downgrade, manual install and block updates.
3. Tap on Upgrade/Downgrade
4. You will see a list of all the previous Youtube versions. Tap on the version you want.
5. Tap on Install and type in your password.

Note: It might not start downloading right away but trying hoping out and in a couple of times and it will eventually start downgrading.

⚡Also Read: YouTube Playback Based CPM

That’s it, Youtube will downgrade to the version you selected.

Step 3 Turn Off Auto Updates

You’d also want to turn off automatic updates for the app or otherwise it’s going to get upgraded again in the background.

1. Open App Store
2. Go to the Youtube app page
3. Hold the Update button until the pop up appears
4. Tap on Block Updates