The app respects your privacy and does not send your credentials to any third-party server.
Most users have transitioned to newer versions or the successor app for several reasons: Lack of Updates
(formerly SmartTubeNext), which receives regular security and feature updates. Why Users Move Away from 6.17.245
Many users reported that signing into their Google account via TV code (youtube.com/activate) failed on older builds. Version 6.17.245 resolves the OAuth token refresh bug.