YouTube Hits The iPad With iOS App Update, Now Tailored To iPhone 5 Screen, Too

Google has updated its YouTube app with a new version that supports the iPhone 5’s larger screen. It also brings the native app to the iPad for the first time since the built-in YouTube app was removed as pre-installed software in iOS 6. Google has been on a tear with app updates today, issuing a new version of Gmail earlier.

In addition to backend improvements that make it run faster and better, the YouTube app brings AirPlay streaming, the ability to edit your playlists with video additions and removals, clickable links in video descriptions, and access to the YouTube personalized channel guide. It’s a free update for all users, and it also seems not to have any of the update or install hiccups that users were experiencing earlier with the new Gmail app. All of the changes are for the better, but I’m just happy I can get rid of that web app link on my iPad’s homescreen.

Google says that more than 25 percent of all YouTube videos are now viewed on mobile devices, totalling over 1 billion views a day. Having native mobile apps on platforms where users tend to consume a lot of media (the iPad is a big one for video, in particular) should help those numbers continue to climb.