The "latest version" most people found in early 2021 was actually version 8.29.9113 , which was released in late 2020 as a final update.

Instead of adding new features, the final updates were designed to help users export their libraries and effectively lock the app's streaming capabilities, replacing the music player with a screen prompting users to "Switch to YouTube Music". Why People Kept Searching for the APK

Users who disliked the new YouTube Music interface often turned to sites like APKMirror or Uptodown to find older, functional versions of the APK to use as a basic offline MP3 player. The 2021 "Ghost" APKs

By late 2020, Google officially discontinued , forcing a massive migration of its user base to YouTube Music .

The official successor for library migration.