Google announces the return of YouTube to Amazon’s Fire TV devices

As the feud between Google and Amazon raged on, YouTube found itself a casualty on Fire TV devices back in 2017 when the two firms stopped supporting each other’s products. Well over a year later, it looks as though both companies have buried the hatchet as Amazon Prime Video plans to add Chromecast support and the native YouTube application will return to Fire TV.

Currently, Google has no hard date planned for the return of its YouTube services, simply stating that the suite of applications would be available on Amazon’s Fire TV devices “later this year.” The standard application complete with advertisements is set to launch in the next few months, with its subscription-based YouTube TV and YouTube Kids to follow before the end of 2019.

Third-parties have attempted to offer YouTube replacements in the meantime, but the return of the official flagship application heralds high-quality video without a hitch. What’s more is that all of Google’s applications will support voice commands from Amazon’s built-in Alexa assistant.

In good faith, Amazon has jointly announced that it will ensure that all Android TV devices can run Prime Video. Those without Android TV will instead be able to rely on Google’s affordable Chromecast dongles, as Amazon bakes Chromecast support into its Prime Video mobile application.

One device that kicked up a fuss in the first place, Amazon’s display-clad Echo Show, is omitted from the range of devices with announced support for YouTube. Both companies originally pointed the finger at one another, with Google stating that it removed the application due to its “broken” playback on the device.

Particulars of the agreement are currently being kept under wraps, but it seems as though the resolution doesn’t include Amazon selling Google Home devices – a direct competitor to its own Echo range. Instead, this is about streaming, which should see no customer complain after they’re the ones that truly suffered during this battle.

KitGuru Says: It’s good to see so many olive branches this week, from Apple and Qualcomm settling their differences and striking up a new deal to Amazon and YouTube finally supporting one another. Are you thankful to see the two collaborating once again?

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