Apple TV+ Is Finally Coming to Android [Update: It’s Here]
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Update: The Apple TV app for Android is now available for download on Google Play.
Since launching its Apple TV+ service in 2019, Apple has aggressively pushed out its Apple TV app to nearly every digital viewing device available. Extending well beyond Apple’s own devices, the company’s TV app made Apple TV+ watchable on smart TVs, Roku and Amazon streaming devices, Windows PCs, and even game consoles. However, there’s always been one conspicuous omission.
Despite the TV app being available on Android-powered smart TVs, Android smartphones and tablets have been left out of the fun. Those who wanted their Ted Lasso or Severance fix had to resort to finding another compatible smart device or viewing in a web browser. That works, but it’s an imperfect solution, at best.
While some may think it’s obvious why Apple would exclude its rival smartphone platform, that’s not likely what this was about. After all, Apple Music came to Android in beta form in November 2015, only four months after it launched, officially launching in August 2016. Apple Music Classical also came to Android months before it landed on the iPad, and it’s still not available on the Mac.
It makes sense, considering that Apple Music is a money-making service for Apple. The company has no incentive to exclude half the smartphone-owning population. Nobody is going to switch to an iPhone just for Apple Music, and that’s even less likely with Apple TV+. Apple is just leaving money on the table here.
The simpler explanation for why Apple hadn’t launched an Apple TV Android app is likely that it just hadn’t gotten around to it. It was the same for Windows users, who were stuck with iTunes until early 2024, despite Apple killing iTunes on the Mac in favor of discrete apps in 2019 (coincidentally the same year that Apple TV+ launched). iTunes could be used to watch purchased and rented movies and TV shows on Windows, but it wasn’t until the 2024 release of discrete Music and TV apps that Apple TV+ shows came into the mix.
Thankfully for Android users, it looks like Apple is about to rectify this situation. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported today that Apple is preparing to announce a version of its Apple TV app for Android that will provide access to both Apple TV+ subscriptions and its MLS Season Pass offering.
Gurman says the new “Android app for TV+” could come as early as today, according to anonymous sources within Apple. This will mark the second Apple service available on the other dominant smartphone platform. Apple Music and Apple Music Classic are separate apps but are both tied to the same core Apple Music service.
Technically speaking, Apple TV is already on the Play Store for Android TV devices (there are two, in fact — the other one is specifically for Sony TVs). It’s possible Apple will push out an update to one of those to add smartphone compatibility rather than releasing an entirely new app, but we’ll have to wait and see.
