Google is killing its “Google Play Movies & TV” app for good. The reason is straight-forward. Google says it wants to simplify how users purchase new movies or access the movies and TV shows they’ve purchased through it and so, starting early next year— January 17, 2024 to be precise— the Google Play Movies & TV app will not be accessible on Android TV devices or the Google Play website, probably the last remaining areas where you could still access it. The app has been inaccessible on Android since 2020 and on iOS since 2022 where Google TV has come to become the de-facto way to rent and purchase movies and TV shows from Google.
In a recent blog post making the announcement, Google has outlined the steps that existing users can take to transition from Google Play Movies & TV assuring you’d still be able to access all of your previously purchased titles (including active rentals) on “Android TV devices, Google TV devices, the Google TV mobile app (Android and iOS), and YouTube.” On TVs and streaming devices running Android TV, for instance, they will be available through the Shop tab while on Android TV powered cable boxes or set-top boxes, you will be able to watch and rent content from the YouTube app. YouTube is also the go-to for when you’re accessing the service through your browser.
The Google Play Movies & TV app was launched in 2011 and so Google is retiring it after 12 years of service. Similar to iTunes, the app served as a marketplace and library for digital movies and TV shows. But with the launch of Google TV in 2020, the writing has been on the wall for some time now. Google TV was launched to jumpstart Google’s ailing TV efforts and brought with it a simplified, curated home page that emphasised on content rather than individual apps. To be clear, Google isn’t the only tech giant to consolidate its entertainment apps. Apple has also given its TV app a refresh to include everything from rentals to services like Apple TV Plus under one roof.
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