Summary

  • Apple TV+ is potentially expanding to Android, tapping into a new audience of around 3.9 billion users.
  • The addition of the Apple TV app to Android could be a strategic move to gain market share in the video streaming industry.
  • Unlike other competitors, Apple TV+ offers a single subscription tier with ad-free, high-quality streaming content for $10 a month.



Apple TV+ is a home to some of the best TV shows and movies, including hits like Ted Lasso, Severance, and more. However, until now, the Apple TV+ app has been exclusive to the Apple ecosystem, with only limited availability on Android via the Android TV app and the Apple TV+ website.

This means Apple has been sitting out on the potential audience of roughly 3.9 billion Android smartphone users (via BankMyCell) due to the lack of a dedicated app. Well, it seems that Apple has finally realized this, as according to a Bloomberg report, Apple is finally bringing its Apple TV+ service as an app to Android.

A person holds an iPhone with the Apple TV+ splash screen illuminated

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The report is based on the job listing posted by Apple in recent days, which says that Apple is looking for a senior Android software engineer to join the Apple TV app team. The engineer, according to the listing, will lead the development of “fun new features” and “help build an application used by millions to watch and discover TV and sports.”

This suggests that Apple might be warming up to the idea of opening its app to its rival OS, Android, possibly to gain market share in video streaming or due to regulatory pressures like the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) that forced Apple to allow sideloading app stores and adopt RCS on iPhone. Whatever the reason, it seems like the Apple TV+ app on Android could become a reality soon.


Apple provides only a handful of apps on Android

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Unlike Google, which offers a large catalog of apps on iOS, Apple has only a few apps available on Android. These include Apple Music, Apple Music Classical, Move to iOS, Tracker Detect, and a few others. While an Apple TV app does exist on the Play Store — in fact, there are two separate listings — this version is only for Android TV and lacks support for phones or tablets. Meanwhile, Apple has declined to release apps like FaceTime and iMessage on Android, but it now seems that Apple TV+ could soon join the list of Apple apps available on Android.

In contrast to other streaming services like Netflix, Disney+, or Hulu, which offer ad-supported or lower-quality streaming subscription tiers, Apple TV+ has only a single subscription tier that costs $10 a month. The service is completely ad-free, with most shows available in HDR. With Apple’s WWDC 2024 coming up in just over a week, we might get a sneak peek of this Android app at the event — who knows?