Google Play Movies & TV app will no longer be available on certain devices come June 15, 2021. Instead, Google announced that any movie or TV shows purchased or rented through the Play Movies & TV service will still be available through the YouTube app, which is also where users will be able to browser, purchase, or rent new content. The move, announced to users in an email and a support page, is a part of a transition to the Google TV experience. The software giant also mentioned that two of LG’s streaming devices will lose access to the platform entirely. There is no information for now on when the app will be shut down on other devices like smartphones and Android TVs.
In a blog post last month, Google announced that Google Play Movies & TV will not be available on Roku, Samsung, LG, and Vizio smart TVs from June 15. Google also mentioned that Google Play Movies & TV services will be removed entirely from LG Netcast and LG SimpleSmart devices. It is also worth noting that the app is not being entirely shut down on other devices apart from the aforementioned ones.
All the purchases and rentals made on the app will be available through Your movies and shows section on the YouTube app on the listed devices. Your Watchlist will also not be available on YouTube but content can be added to playlists. Google also mentioned that the credits from Google Play Movies & TV will be transferable to YouTube. Also, Play Family Library purchases will be visible on YouTube. The latter doesn’t support family sharing, however, purchases made from the former will keep on supporting family sharing. To know more about where to watch your content, head here.
Last month, Google announced a new Google TV that lets parents control the content their kids watch on the platform. Parents can set up a kid’s profile on their Google TV and monitor their TV viewing time, put locks on certain apps, and share already purchased movies and TV shows for their kids.
Why did LG give up on its smartphone business? We discussed this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Later (starting at 22:00), we talk about the new co-op RPG shooter Outriders. Orbital is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.