The third-generation Apple TV, which was introduced in 2012, looks set to lose support for the internal YouTube app in a month. This means that the use of YouTube with this device will eventually only be possible via AirPlay.
The website 9to5Mac reports that a reader saw a message appear while using YouTube on his third-generation Apple TV, indicating that the YouTube app will no longer be available from early March. The notification states that it is still possible to stream videos from YouTube to the set-top box via AirPlay. The user has a image of the notification published on Twitter.
This change only affects the third-generation Apple TV; on the newer Apple TV HD from 2015 and Apple TV 4K from 2017, the internal YouTube app will still be available. That’s because these two newer set-top boxes from Apple run on the tvOS operating system, which is based on iOS, which also includes access to the tvOS App Store. The 2012 Apple TV and older versions still require separate agreements between Apple and app makers for support.