Apple Removes Ability to Buy and Rent in Update to Apple TV App for Android TV and Google TV
Apple has seemingly removed the ability to buy and rent TV shows and movies in the Apple TV app for Android TV and Google TV in the latest update to the app.
When the Apple TV app launched on Google TV early last year and Android TV in the summer, it included the ability to purchase and rent movies and TV shows from the iTunes store, as well as access to Apple TV+. The app is available for devices such as the Nvidia Shield and Google Chromecast.
After the latest update to the app, users must now buy and rent TV shows and movies on a separate device in order to view them in the Apple TV app for Android TV and Google TV. The buttons to buy and rent have been replaced with a new "How to Watch" button, which suggests that users should "buy, rent or subscribe in the Apple TV app on iPhone, iPad, and other streaming devices." Previous purchases and rentals initiated in the Apple TV app for Android TV and Google TV continue to be available.
The change was spotted by users who took to Reddit (via FlatPanelsHD) to bemoan the change. Users who avoid updating the Apple TV app can seemingly continue to purchase and rent movies and TV shows, but it is not clear how long this solution will last.
FlatPanelsHD suggested that Apple may have stripped back the functionality to avoid Google's 30 percent commission on in-app purchases. Not all TV in-app purchases were covered by the commission previously, but it is possible that Google introduced new terms, prompting Apple to scale back the app.
The change also seems to include smart TVs that run Android TV and Google TV natively, such as some Sony Bravia models, but other smart TVs with the Apple TV app seem to be unaffected.
Popular Stories
Apple has announced it will be holding a special event on Tuesday, May 7 at 7 a.m. Pacific Time (10 a.m. Eastern Time), with a live stream to be available on Apple.com and on YouTube as usual. The event invitation has a tagline of "Let Loose" and shows an artistic render of an Apple Pencil, suggesting that iPads will be a focus of the event. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more ...
Apple has dropped the number of Vision Pro units that it plans to ship in 2024, going from an expected 700 to 800k units to just 400k to 450k units, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Orders have been scaled back before the Vision Pro has launched in markets outside of the United States, which Kuo says is a sign that demand in the U.S. has "fallen sharply beyond expectations." As a...
The upcoming iOS 17.5 update for the iPhone includes only a few new user-facing features, but hidden code changes reveal some additional possibilities. Below, we have recapped everything new in the iOS 17.5 and iPadOS 17.5 beta so far. Web Distribution Starting with the second beta of iOS 17.5, eligible developers are able to distribute their iOS apps to iPhone users located in the EU...
Apple is finally planning a Calculator app for the iPad, over 14 years after launching the device, according to a source familiar with the matter. iPadOS 18 will include a built-in Calculator app for all iPad models that are compatible with the software update, which is expected to be unveiled during the opening keynote of Apple's annual developers conference WWDC on June 10. AppleInsider...
Apple has stopped production of FineWoven accessories, according to the Apple leaker and prototype collector known as "Kosutami." In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Kosutami explained that Apple has stopped production of FineWoven accessories due to its poor durability. The company may move to another non-leather material for its premium accessories in the future. Kosutami has revealed...
Apple Vision Pro, Apple's $3,500 spatial computing device, appears to be following a pattern familiar to the AR/VR headset industry – initial enthusiasm giving way to a significant dip in sustained interest and usage. Since its debut in the U.S. in February 2024, excitement for the Apple Vision Pro has noticeably cooled, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Writing in his latest Power On...
Top Rated Comments