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The Apple TV app is coming to Android smartphones and tablets, the company’s job post revealed.
Apple is recruiting a senior software engineer “to lead the development of fun new features” to build an app for millions of viewers to watch various TV and sports content.
The job advert signals the start of the project to deliver an Apple app on its rival phone platform to host its dedicated TV+ service. Until now, Android users have been required to use the web option at tv.apple.com to watch Apple programming, but the new venture is likely to provide a more immersive experience.
An Apple TV app for Android appears set to provide greater access to premium Apple TV+ shows and MLS Season Pass. It would also enable extended functionality for playback, downloads, and a range of extra entertainment options from the Apple roster of channels and shows, as well as buy and rent offerings from the Apple store.
The move to Android indicates that the company is seeking to increase its market share in streaming and drive up its user base, especially among Android users who the native app could now entice.
Apple is said to have around 2.2 billion active devices in use worldwide, with the vast majority of that figure represented by iPhones. Although Apple leads the way on high-end cellphones, Android is thought to have more global users, with around 3 billion devices compared to its own iOS operating system.
Apple does not routinely build software for Android, but this move is part of the scaling up its TV+ service, which it launched five years ago.
As an alternative or rival platform to Disney+ and Netflix, the Cupertino-based tech giant has dedicated significant resources to embedding original content and in-demand sports rights in its lineup.
The company has been reticent about its subscriber numbers and revenue base, but this outreach to Android is clearly designed to secure a bigger slice of the pie.
Apple has already been expanding the availability of its app to other third-party platforms, away from the mobile sector, with the Apple TV+ streaming service accessible on Amazon Fire Stick, PlayStation, Roku, Xbox, and other devices such as cable boxes.
At this stage, it is unclear how long it will take for the app to go live on Android, and no timeline has been given.
