The Apple TV app on Android TV no longer allows rentals, purchases, or subscriptions

Apple has abruptly removed the option to rent or buy movies through its Apple TV app on Android TVs. This also affects devices with Google TV, like the 2020 Chromecast and newer TVs from Sony, TCL and others. as noted by Flat PanelsHD and 9to5Macthe previous ability to rent or buy content directly has been removed. and The edge has determined that Apple TV Plus subscriptions are also no longer allowed on the device.

Instead, there’s now a “How to Watch” button that directs people to Apple products “or other streaming devices” for rental, purchase, and Apple TV Plus subscriptions. These changes have not yet been reflected Apple’s Android TV support page, which continues to list direct transactions as supported. Nvidia Shield owners first noticed the loss of rentals and purchases A few days earlier.

Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge

In the top navigation area of ​​the app, the previous “Movies” and “TV Shows” (resp “Save” in some cases) leaving only Watch Now, Apple TV Plus, and Library. The same movie and TV show listings are still there and searchable. But for each title you bring up, the only options now are the How to Watch button and Add to Up Next button.

The Apple TV app first launched on select Android TVs in late 2020 and became generally available on the platform last June. Less than a year later, Apple is now withdrawing direct rentals, purchases and subscriptions, leaving the app as a portal for the content you’ve paid for elsewhere. “Not all devices support on-device transactions, so you may not be able to buy, rent, or subscribe to shows or channels directly,” Apple says on his website.

With the Android TV app, you can still access your existing library and any movies and shows you bought/rented on another device. And that’s a good thing, since Apple often delivers streams at higher bitrates than some competing entertainment services.

The edge has reached out to both Apple and Google for comment on the situation. It is suspected that this could be a case where Apple no longer wants to give Google a share of these individual in-app purchases – a point of contention Apple is very familiar with itself. The Apple TV app on Amazon’s Fire TV platform has never allowed movie rentals or purchases for similar reasons. What has pissed people off about this situation is that Apple originally provided all of these features and now it seems they’ve changed their minds.

After this change, you’ll still have the ability to rent or buy through the Apple TV app on Roku devices, Samsung and LG smart TVs, Xbox and PlayStation gaming consoles, and of course Apple’s own products.