Google realizes that you don’t always want to buy or rent a movie or TV show, so today it’s updating the Play Movies & TV app for Android with a helpful feature that will show which apps are currently streaming whatever it is you’re trying to watch.
This works for many of the popular go-tos like Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, HBO Go / Now, Showtime, and a slew of cable-authenticated apps like ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, HGTV, Comedy Central, and others.
Unfortunately, you’ll notice that the glaring omission right now is Netflix. So Play Movies won’t know if something you’re searching for is available from the leading streaming service. But for those that do work, you can just tap and the show or movie will automatically open and start playing in the respective app.
Google is also adding quick access to genres, aiming to take you to a good pick much quicker than before when you had to scroll down a long list. And there’s now a thumbs-up / down rating system inside Play Movies & TV to help Google present you with more relevant and personalized recommendations. The new features will roll out to Android smartphones and tablets in the US over the next few days.
This brings Google’s Movies & TV app the same convenience that Apple users get with the built-in TV app on iOS and Apple TV. It also lists third-party apps and streaming platforms that currently have rights to your desired content. Both companies are trying to act as a bridge between you and these other video apps, which sometimes have cluttered or bad interfaces.
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