Apple is finally bringing the Apple TV app to Android phones and tablets, as reported by Bloomberg. The company is in the process of hiring engineers to help lead the effort and build out the software. Previously, the company has made an app for the Android smart TV platform, but not Android itself.
Until now, the go-to answer for what should Android phone users do if they want to watch Apple TV+ shows, or enjoy MLS Season Pass, was to use the web experience at tv.apple.com. But obviously, a native app is much more compelling and could support features like offline downloads.
The Apple TV app has a lot of functionality, including Apple TV+ originals, other Apple TV channels, the Store to buy and rent movies and shows, and is also the home of Apple’s growing sports offerings like Friday Night Baseball and MLS Season Pass.
Making the TV app available on Android brings it up to parity with Apple’s other major content service, Apple Music. Although Apple Music launched on iOS exclusively with iOS 8.4 in 2014, it came to Android only about a year later. In contrast, the current incarnation of the TV app debuted in 2019 and — five years on — remains iPhone exclusive so far.
Outside of mobile, Apple has aggressively expanded the availability of the TV app to third-party platforms, motivated by the need to bring more eyeballs to its Apple TV+ streaming service. The TV app is available on Roku, Amazon Fire Stick, PlayStation, Xbox, Xfinity cable boxes and more non-Apple devices. Last year, it even released a native Windows desktop app.
It’s good to hear that the company has finally relented on this matter. It will make it easier for non iPhone users to sign up for and access Apple TV+, for instance. However, it’s unclear how long it will take for the Android version of the TV app to go live. If Apple has only just embarked on its development, it could be a while.
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