Apple to Overhaul TV App, Remove Standalone Apps from Apple TV

[MacRumors]

Apple plans to overhaul the TV app in an effort to consolidate its Apple TV+ streaming service and its standalone movie and TV show purchase options, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. A tvOS update in December will introduce the changes that Apple has planned.

To push users to the Apple TV app, Apple plans to remove its standalone Apple TV apps that are available for renting and purchasing TV shows and movies. The movie and TV show sections from the iTunes Store app on iPhones and iPads will also be eliminated.

Apple wants to push customers to the TV app, which already houses purchased movies and shows, Apple TV+ content, and third-party channels that customers can subscribe to.

The TV app will serve as a hub for streaming content, and Gurman says the redesigned app will have a side panel at the left that can be used to navigate between different video categories.

Updated navigation should make the TV app less confusing for consumers, making it clearer which content is from Apple and available through the Apple TV+ subscription and which content requires a separate subscription.

Article Link: Apple to Overhaul TV App, Remove Standalone Apps from Apple TV

 

[armandxp]

This sounds like a good idea. Seems like it could have been part of tvOS 17, though.

 

[nsengbush]

This is amazing news! I have been hoping they would overhaul the app since I like that it aggregates our increasingly fractured TV viewing experience, but it's nice to see they are doing something about it.

I hope they can add more TV channel options since it is stagnant and poor compared to Amazon Prime channels (Max, NBA, MLB.tv, Crunchyroll now, live channels).

Hopefully, they put the user first in this overhaul, unlike the ad banner they added this past year.

 

[iwan073]

The TV app is such a mess. I have no idea where to look

 

[xpxp2002]

Ugh, that's disappointing. The dedicated apps are faster and much easier to navigate.

 

[DontmesswitdaBoss]

I have bonus content for some tv shows that only show up in the iTunes app and not Apple TV+ app. I hope they fix this 🙏

 

[Corrode]

And for goodness sake, please add a Kids or Family section so my young children can actually access the great Apple TV shows that are made for them.

 

[TrenttonY]

This is the nail in the coffin for the ‘iTunes Store’ branding. Now, it will be the ‘Apple TV Store’ & ‘Apple Music Store’ etc.

As long as I can still purchase movies, I’m fine with it.

 

[nvmls]

This'll get leo messy pretty quick...

 

[page3]

Great idea.

Better to have one app I never use, rather than several I never use.

 

[nsengbush]

And for goodness sake, please add a Kids or Family section so my young children can actually access the great Apple TV shows that are made for them.

It's hilarious because they originally had that tab before the greed took over and they started pushing their content. Used to have kids, tv, and movie tabs but were replaced with store, and apple tv + tabs

 

[rorschach]

Still waiting for them to give us an option to remove the massive ads that show up above my Up Next queue in the Watch Now tab. On my iPhone, they take up more than three quarters of the screen. IMO “Watch Now” should only show content I’ve already purchased or is available on services I’ve already subscribed to. And if they are going to show me ads above my Up Next, at least personalize it so it doesn’t show me stuff I’ve already watched.

I’m fine with this change because there’s already a Store tab. But the TV app itself needs a lot of work.

 

[Delorean2006]

this is a good idea, I usually find myself actually going to with Apple TV app to rent movies or look at what’s in my library on my iPhone or Apple TV.

 

[matttarantino]

At that point, why can't the rest of the dedicated iTunes app move to the music app? It's time for that dedicated app to go!

 

[Robin Bonathan]

So does that mean VLC will not be able to run to play xx.mkv files ?

 

[upandown]

Good move. Always seemed redundant to have multiple video content apps.

 

[goodcow]

The TV app is much worse than the individual movies and tv shows apps. This would be horrible from a user experience POV to do this.

 

[jkeitz]

I’d be all for this as long as they finally give us the option to turn off auto play next episode. I HATE that ”feature” so I usually use the TV Shows app to watch shows.

 

[RickDEGH]

I honestly didn’t understand any of what I just read 😩

 

[jz0309]

The tv app on the Mac sucks… but at least it’s showing iTunes purchases and ripped DVDs in 1 list…
On the Apple TVs I have, it’s a real mess…

 

[JMO1]

Apple plans to overhaul the TV app in an effort to consolidate its Apple TV+ streaming service and its standalone movie and TV show purchase options, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. A tvOS update in December will introduce the changes that Apple has planned.

To push users to the Apple TV app, Apple plans to remove its standalone Apple TV apps that are available for renting and purchasing TV shows and movies. The movie and TV show sections from the iTunes Store app on iPhones and iPads will also be eliminated.

Apple wants to push customers to the TV app, which already houses purchased movies and shows, Apple TV+ content, and third-party channels that customers can subscribe to.

The TV app will serve as a hub for streaming content, and Gurman says the redesigned app will have a side panel at the left that can be used to navigate between different video categories.

Updated navigation should make the TV app less confusing for consumers, making it clearer which content is from Apple and available through the Apple TV+ subscription and which content requires a separate subscription.

Article Link: Apple to Overhaul TV App, Remove Standalone Apps from Apple TV

I’m on board as long as I can still filter out services I am not subscribed to. E.g, I don’t need to see Disney+ content in my guide since I don’t subscribe to that platform

 

[Muero]

I’d be all for this as long as they finally give us the option to turn off auto play next episode. I HATE that ”feature” so I usually use the TV Shows app to watch shows.

We might have a chance for this to happen if we all submit this feedback to Apple: https://www.apple.com/feedback/apple-tv-app/

 

[yabeweb]

Another redesign…it’s like they keep trying until they get it right.

 

[cocky jeremy]

I just use mine for YouTube and YouTubeTV, so whatever.

 

[eicca]

TV is the worst thing Apple makes. It's glitchy, inconsistent, confusing, and just doesn't work most of the time I try it. Old units, new units, doesn't matter, they're all irritating to use.

My $40 Roku has been utterly flawless, still allows me to AirPlay (and Android friends can cast), and oh yeah it's $40.

The only app that I haven't been able to get to work right on said Roku is, surprise surprise, the Apple TV app. No sound when attempting to play movies. Never been able to get it to work.