Have you ever wished you could stream? Ted Lasso either The morning program In full resolution with bright, bold, immersive images on a Google Pixel 8 Pro or Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5?
Well, an Apple TV Plus app for Android could be on the horizon. A new report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman highlights a job opening from Apple for the position “Android Software Engineer – Apple TV App.” That makes it pretty clear that there is interest in bringing one of Apple's main services to a wide range of devices. After all, you can't get everyone to change.
The job description notes that the engineer will “lead the development of fun new features and help create an app used by millions of people to watch and discover TV and sports.” This likely refers to the wide range of content that Apple TV Plus offers, all contained in the current Apple TV app that we see on first-party and third-party devices. Contains Apple original TV shows, movies, documentaries and live sports content, courtesy of Friday Night Baseball and MLS Season Pass.
Since Apple TV Plus launched in 2019, it has been available on first-party devices such as iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV streaming boxes, and Vision Pro within the TV app. The same app is also found on third-party devices such as smart TVs (including Samsung, Sony, TCL, Fire TV, and Hisense), streaming players, and gaming consoles.
Like Apple Music, which offers an Android app, Apple is looking to expand where the streaming service can be accessed and allow more people to stream the latest shows and movies. As services become a bigger and more important part of Apple, especially from a revenue standpoint, it makes sense that they want to reach as many users as possible. And that means offering the experience on a mobile device, even if it's not from Apple.
Expanding the reach of Apple TV Plus
Suppose there is a launch in Google's Play Store for Android. In that case, it will instantly open Apple TV Plus to many more users on various devices made by Google, Samsung, Motorola and OnePlus, among many others.
This potential app would also take a page out of the playbooks of other streaming services like Peacock, Netflix, and Disney Plus, which offer a variety of apps for nearly every major platform. It makes sense to meet a potential customer or someone who has already signed up for popular devices.
Considering that the job listing hints at sports and mentions them by name, it will be interesting to see if the recently released sports app will ever appear outside of iOS. I imagine that's a little less likely since it's not subscription-based and judging by the launch of Apple Music for Android, Apple will likely want to tie it to revenue, so beyond Apple TV Plus, it could be Fitness Plus. that requires an Apple Watch or iPhone.
Apple declined to comment in Bloomberg's first report on the potential for an Apple TV Plus app for Android, but TechRadar has also reached out and will update if we hear back. In the meantime, you can read about the best streaming services here.
