Apple has said that its Apple TV+ streaming service is finally coming to its arch-rival Android, more than five years after it first launched the app on iOS platforms.
The Apple TV+ service, which is a rival to Netflix and Disney+, can be accessed via the Apple TV app, which is now available on Android phones and tablets, the company said.
For years, the Apple TV app has been available on smart televisions including those that run Android TV and Google TV, as well as various consoles and set-top boxes, but for whatever reason, it was never launched on mobile Android devices.
That decision may have had something to do with the rivalry between Apple and Google, but in any case it appears that the company has decided there’s merit to launching its streaming app on its competitor’s devices.
The Apple TV app launched on Android in the Google Play Store this week, and it's available worldwide. According to Apple, it was built from the ground up to provide a “familiar and intuitive interface” to Android users.
The launch means that Android smartphone and tablet users can now access the Apple TV+ streaming service and all of its content on their mobile devices, including original hit shows such as Ted Lasso, Silo, Severance and Slow Horse, as well as some Major League Baseball games and Major League Soccer matches. However, the app does not provide access to movies that have been purchased or rented via Apple’s iTunes store.
The app offers many of the same features found on the iOS version, including Continue Watching, Watchlist and offline viewing. It also supports picture-in-picture mode, meaning you can watch Apple TV in a small window while fiddling around with another app.
Apple said it will work with any Android device that’s running Android 10 or a later version of the software. The company is also offering a free, 7-day trial for those who just want to check it out, but you’ll need to provide a payment method and cancel manually once that trial elapses, if you don’t want to pay.
