What you need to know
- The Apple TV app is officially available on Android as of now, so Android users no longer have to use a browser to stream Apple TV Plus content.
- Apple TV on Android uses Google Play Billing, so users can subscribe via the Google Play Store without needing an Apple device. This change also applies to the Android TV or Google TV apps.
- The Apple TV app for Android is for accessing Apple TV Plus or MLS Season Pass; it can’t be used to access purchased iTunes content.
Over five years after launching the Apple TV Plus streaming service, the company is finally bringing the Apple TV app to Android. Starting today, Feb. 12, users can download the Apple TV app from the Google Play Store and access the Apple TV Plus and MLS Season Pass subscription offerings. The move comes after Apple previously made an Apple TV app for the Android TV and Google TV platforms back in 2021.
The new Apple TV app will run on devices with Android 10 or newer installed, and that includes a mix of phones, tablets, and foldables. Unlike the Apple TV app on Apple devices, the Apple TV app for Android will not offer certain features, like access to iTunes content or Apple TV channels. Instead, this app focuses on Apple’s streaming services.
The Android version of the app is built to be cross-platform, with features like “Continue Watching.” You can start a show or movie on one device and pick up right where you left off on another, regardless of whether that’s an Apple or Android device. Additionally, users can plan out their streaming with a “Watchlist,” and can download Apple TV Plus content to their Android device for offline watching.
Notably, Apple is now integrating with Google Play Billing. This means that Android users can sign up for Apple TV Plus on an Apple device or on the web, but they can also do so through the Google Play Store directly in the Android app. This is a first for Apple, as the Apple TV app for Android/Google TV did not support signing up for the streaming service in the app — until now.
Apple says the app is designed for Android, bringing a “familiar and intuitive interface,” but there are some missing features that longtime Android users might miss. For example, Google Cast isn’t available at launch, so you can’t cast a show from the Apple TV app on your Android phone to your Google TV, Nest, or Chromecast device. The company plans to build and improve the Apple TV app for Android over time, and Google Cast is the kind of feature that could be added in the future.
The two streaming services available on the Apple TV app for Android are Apple TV Plus (which includes Friday Night Baseball) and MLS Season Pass. Apple TV Plus costs $9.99 per month, and includes hit shows like Severance and Ted Lasso, as well as Friday Night Baseball — which airs two MLB games weekly during the regular season with no regional blackouts. There’s also MLS Season Pass, the all-access streaming service for Major League Soccer, which costs $14.99 per month or $99 for the entire season.
Android users can download the Apple TV app from the Google Play Store starting now. This was previously rumored back in October, and of course, the Apple Music app for Android has been around for about a decade.
You can try Apple TV Plus for free for seven days.
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