The popular third-party app Juno for YouTube, designed for the Apple Vision Pro, has been removed from the App Store. This follows a complaint from Google, which claimed the app violated YouTube’s trademark and API policies, according to the app's developer, Christian Selig.
Selig, known for creating the Reddit app Apollo, shared the news, revealing that YouTube had contacted him months ago about Juno's compliance with their guidelines. Google alleged that the app, which allowed users to watch YouTube videos on Apple’s Vision Pro in an immersive format, modified the platform’s appearance in ways that infringed YouTube’s trademark and did not adhere to its policies.
Selig disagreed with the claims, stating that Juno functioned as a “web-wrapper” and modified only the CSS to enhance the YouTube experience on VisionOS. He emphasised that Juno did not block ads, nor did it use YouTube’s API, which had been a point of contention in Google’s complaint. Despite this, after months of back-and-forth with Google, no resolution was reached. On October 1, Selig received notification from Apple that Juno for YouTube had been officially removed from the App Store.
The app had gained traction as it filled the void left by YouTube’s absence from the Vision Pro platform. Google confirmed earlier in the year that a native YouTube app for Vision Pro was "on the roadmap," but no release date has been provided yet. Currently, Vision Pro users can only access YouTube via Safari, which lacks the immersive features Juno provided, such as viewing videos in 360- or 180-degree formats and controlling playback with Siri.
Selig expressed disappointment but mentioned that Juno was always intended as a fun, personal project. He does not plan to pursue further action, unlike his previous experience with Apollo and Reddit’s developer policy changes. Users who already have Juno installed should be able to continue using it unless a future YouTube update breaks compatibility.
This removal seemingly leaves Vision Pro users without a specialised YouTube app, making it difficult to find alternatives that may match the functionality Juno offered.
Source: Christian Selig via The Verge
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