Google Is Removing A Key Feature From Its Play Store
Those who frequently use the Movies & TV tab on the Google Play Store may be surprised to find it will disappear.
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Google’s Play Store has been home to millions of Android apps over the years. It was also the place where users could buy their favorite games, movies, television shows, eBooks, and audiobooks. But that’s all about to change as the tech giant plans to revamp the popular service. In May, the multinational technology company will remove the Movies & TV tab from the menu at the bottom of the store’s interface.
However, there’s no need to worry because the option to purchase movies and television shows isn’t disappearing completely. The service is just moving over to the Google TV app, the company said on their website. There, users will be able to buy, rent, and watch movies and television shows on their Android mobile device or tablet. The new space will also be updated with the latest new releases, rentals, deals, and customized recommendations – juts like the Play Store.
According to Engadget, users shouldn’t be concerned about losing previously purchased content. When visiting the Google TV app, a Shop tab appears where all the titles the tech giant offers are displayed. Everything that has been paid for can be found in the accompanying Library tab. And all purchased content will be there indefinitely. Like the Play Store, users can stream it or download it whenever they like.
Additionally, users can still use their Google Play credit and Play gift cards for transactions within the app. Every purchase of a film or television show will still be eligible for family sharing and Google Play Points. And folks can still view and request refunds for TV app purchases on Google Play. The only difference is if there’s something users want to watch, they will have to launch the dedicated TV app instead of the Play Store to find it.
Fortunately, most Android devices come with the Google TV app preinstalled. So if your gadget of choice isn’t too old, the app should be there already, making it easy to locate all your favorite existing content. The tech giant’s removal of the movies tab from the Play Store isn’t a huge surprise. In recent years, the company has been steadily phasing out its Play Movies and TV branding. Just last year, Google dropped the dedicated Play Movies & TV app on Roku and several other smart TVs platforms, XDA reports.
Meanwhile, Google has also successfully, shut down and removed YouTube Vanced from their Play Store. The popular ad-blocking Android app served as a mod of the official YouTube Android app. The developers announced its discontinuation over the weekend. While they failed to give a reason, The Verge confirmed that a cease-and-desist letter from Google sealed their fate. “We were asked to remove all references to YouTube, change the logo, and remove all links related to YouTube products,” an admin from the Vanced team told the publication.
Created in 2017, YouTube Vanced essentially decompiled Google’s official YouTube app, added some new features, and distributed the resulting code. The app’s biggest appeal was its ad-blocking feature and background playback. As cool as that sounds, by redistributing Google’s proprietary code and using the YouTube trademark in the Play Store the company was actually guilty of copyright infringement.
