Today developers for Apple’s iOS mobile platform were treated to beta 4 of iOS 6, the latest version of the operating system. As the beta moves forward, developers and Apple fans alike have been able to see more of what Apple’s vision of the future of the iPhone and iPad really is. It turns out that vision does not include a pre-installed YouTube app.

Engadget was able to contact Apple about the glaring omission, though not much was revealed. Their source stated that the licensing deal between Apple and Google to include the YouTube app in iOS has, or is quickly coming to, and end. The YouTube app will remain a part of iOS 5 and older, but newer versions of the OS will not have the familiar old-style TV set icon on the homescreen.

Luckily, the Engadget Apple source also mentioned that Google is already working on an App Store version of the YouTube app for iOS. Development on such an app shouldn’t take too long, though it will still have to pass through Apple’s arduous App Store approval process. It’s a given, though, that the app will become one of the most popular in the App Store when it is released.

It makes sense for Apple to let Google go it alone with their own YouTube app. The YouTube app included in iOS was a front-and-center icon that provided access directly to a product from Google, which has become one of Apple’s biggest competitors. This fits with the trend of Apple replacing the functionality of other Google products on iOS, such as Maps, with its own software.