Google has provided a bug fix to its iOS YouTube app, the first update to a major Google iOS app since December, 9to5Google reports. Although there’s been speculation that the reason for the lack of updates to iOS versions of Gmail, Docs, Search, and Photos is an attempt to avoid Apple’s new privacy labels, Google has explicitly denied that was the case. The company said in a January 12th blog post it would add the labels to its apps when updates were available:
As Google’s iOS apps are updated with new features or to fix bugs, you’ll see updates to our app page listings that include the new App Privacy Details. These labels represent the maximum categories of data that could be collected—meaning if you use every available feature and service in the app. The data you provide to Google products delivers helpful services to you, and you can always control your privacy settings by visiting your Google Account or going directly to the Google products you use on iOS.
Apple requires companies to apply the privacy labels, which it launched on December 14th, before they can update existing iOS apps. Some of Google’s other apps— Stadia, Authenticator, Translate, and Classroom, for example— have received iOS updates already.
We’ve reached out to Google to ask if updates for the iOS versions of Gmail, Search, Docs and Photos are forthcoming, and will report back if we learn more.
