Juno for YouTube has been removed from the App Store due to a trademark complaint by Google

The popular third-party app Juno for YouTube, designed for Apple Vision Pro, has been removed from the App Store. This follows a complaint from Google that claimed the app violated YouTube's trademark and API guidelines, according to the app's developer Christian Selig.

Selig, known for developing the Reddit app Apollo, shared the news and revealed that YouTube had contacted him months ago about Juno's compliance with their policies. Google alleged that the app, which allowed users to watch YouTube videos on Apple's Vision Pro in an immersive format, changed the look and feel of the platform in a way that violated YouTube's trademark and did not adhere to YouTube's policies held.

Selig disputed the claims, explaining that Juno acted as a “web wrapper” and only modified the CSS to improve the YouTube experience on VisionOS. He emphasized that Juno did not block ads or use YouTube's API, which was a point of contention in Google's complaint. Nevertheless, after months of back and forth with Google, no solution could be found. On October 1st, 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 created by the absence of YouTube on the Vision Pro platform. Google confirmed earlier this year that a native YouTube app for Vision Pro was “on the roadmap,” but no release date was given. Currently, Vision Pro users can only access YouTube through Safari, which lacks Juno's immersive features, such as watching videos in 360 or 180-degree format and controlling playback with Siri.

Selig expressed his disappointment, but mentioned that Juno was always intended to be a fun, personal project. Unlike his previous experiences with Apollo and Reddit's developer policy changes, he has no plans to take further action. Users who already have Juno installed should be able to continue using it unless a future YouTube update breaks compatibility.

This removal appears to leave Vision Pro users without a dedicated YouTube app, making it difficult to find alternatives that could match the functionality Juno offers.

Source: Christian Selig via The Verge