Bad news for Google Play Movies & TV fans: come June 15th, the app will no longer be available for smart TVs and Roku set-top boxes.
Google announced the change via email (and also through an update to the Play Movies & TV support page). In short, if you use the Play Movies & TV app on Roku set-top boxes or Roku, Samsung, LG or Vizio smart TVs, you won’t be able to continue doing so after June 15th, 2021. Instead, Google says that any movie or TV content users purchased or rented from Play Movies & TV will be accessible through the YouTube app.
Specifically, people will need to open the ‘Your movies and shows’ section in the YouTube app.
Naturally, there are a few things to be aware of with this switch. First up, The Verge points out that the Play Movies & TV ‘Watchlist’ section can’t be accessed through the YouTube app. However, you should still be able to access it through the Play Movies & TV app on your smartphone, or by Google searching ‘my watchlist.’
Further, content purchased through YouTube won’t be shared with family members, although family can still share content purchased through Play Movies & TV. It’s also worth noting that people who used the Play Movies & TV app to access the ‘Movies Anywhere’ service will now have to use YouTube to access it instead. Considering that service isn’t officially available in Canada, however, I doubt that will impact most Canadians.
To recap, starting June 15th you’ll need to head to the YouTube app on your Roku set-top box or Roku, Samsung, LG or Vizio smart TV to access purchases or rented content from Google Play Movies & TV. You will also still be able to access that content via the Play Movies & TV app on Android and iOS devices, Android TV and the web. For some U.S. users, you’ll need to look for the Google TV app instead. (It’s pretty confusing, but Play Movies & TV is actually Google TV in some regions. If you’re confused, The Verge has an explainer that might help, or might leave you even more stumped.)
To access Play Movies & TV content via the YouTube app, you’ll need to log in with your Google account, then navigate to ‘Library’ > ‘Your movies and shows.’
Update 04/13/2021 at 11:01am: The story incorrectly stated that Google Play Movies & TV would go away on July 15th. We’ve corrected the story to reflect the actual June 15th date listed by Google both on its support page and in the email it sent to users.
