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YouTube makes it cheaper to store videos offline in India

"Smart Offline" schedules clips to download overnight, when data rates are cheaper.

Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Eighteen months ago Google launched an offline mode for YouTube users in India. Now, the company is finessing the feature with a "Smart Offline" option that schedules videos to be downloaded overnight. That's useful in India because many carriers offer cheaper data rates during the early hours. So when a user finds a clip they like, they can add it to their queue and go to bed knowing it'll be ready the following day. It sounds pretty handy, especially for people who live or travel to places with poor connectivity. The new option is rolling out to Airtel and Telenor customers today -- Google says it hopes to bring it to everyone in India "eventually."