Apple TV+ just arrived on Android, more than five years after the service launched. By all appearances Apple made a solid Android app. But there’s one feature in particular that makes me wish I could have the new app on my iPhone too.
Apple TV app for Android embraces ‘less is more’ design
I’ve been using an iPhone for so long, my brain is hard-wired to prefer iOS and the design decisions Apple has made.
Every time I try Android, it just feels wrong or broken. No offense to Android users, I know it’s mostly a preference thing.
But with Apple’s new TV+ app for Android, I find myself a little jealous.
That’s because the Android app comes with one feature that proves the old adage, “less is more.”
It only includes content from Apple TV+ (and Apple’s semi-distinct soccer streamer).
Open the Apple TV app on Android and you’ll find only content that can be streamed via TV+.
That’s right, the app exclusively features TV shows and movies that are included with an Apple TV+ subscription. Just like almost every other streaming service’s app.
Open Netflix? You see shows and movies from Netflix, that you can tap to play right away. Same for Max, Peacock, and so on.
Now, that same convenience is afforded to Apple TV+ users on Android.
This may seem like a small detail, but it actually solves a big problem on the iPhone.
iPhone users stuck with confusing Apple TV+ app experience
It’s hard to imagine Apple shipping a better TV+ interface for Android users than iPhone, but that’s arguably what has happened.
Open the Apple TV app on iPhone, and the TV+ experience is far more confusing.
You’ll see shows and movies from Apple TV+, but also Disney+, Prime Video, Starz, AMC, Max, Peacock, Hulu, and so on. Plus, all the shows and movies in Apple’s digital video store (formerly known as iTunes).
There’s an easy fix: switching tabs. You can tap on the app’s second tab, which contains only TV+ content.
But for many users, especially those new to Apple TV+, this app setup remains extremely confusing.
I’ve seen so many social media posts over the years from people who open the Apple TV app and assume that the content they see is included with Apple TV+. They then grow frustrated when they find out it’s not, and Apple instead offers to:
- sell them that content as a separate purchase through its digital store
- or bump them out to a different streamer’s app, which they may first need to download before signing up for a separate streaming service
All of this unintentionally tarnishes the reputation of Apple TV+.
And on Android, these problems don’t exist.
But use an iPhone, iPad, Apple TV 4K, and the TV app unfortunately provides a worse TV+ experience.
That’s largely because the TV app on those platforms doesn’t primarily exist for Apple TV+. It exists to aggregate content from various TV services.
There are benefits to this approach. I actually like the fact that much of my TV content (minus Netflix) can live in a single, unified queue.
It also, importantly, benefits Apple because they get a cut of subscription revenue when you sign up for other services. Or they get to sell you videos from their store.
But these benefits have come with the trade-off of a problematic user interface.
And that doesn’t have to be the case. There’s a solution that’s not at all revolutionary.
New standalone TV+ app could be the best path forward
Apple could create a dedicated Apple TV+ app for iPhone that integrates with its separate aggregator app, but can also be used solo—the way other streaming apps can.
Before doing that, though, it would likely want to make a name change.
I’ve argued elsewhere that a TV+ rebrand would be a helpful move for a variety of reasons.
As relates to offering a new app, it would ensure that iPhone users don’t have to endure there being separate apps called ‘Apple TV+’ and ‘Apple TV.’
But until such a change happens, Android users will continue having exclusive rights to the streamlined, simple Apple TV+ experience that the iPhone lacks.
Apple TV+ is available for $9.99 per month and features hit TV shows and movies like Ted Lasso, Severance, The Morning Show, Silo, and Shrinking.
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