Android TV introduces 'Shop' tab replacing Google Play Movies & TV

Image credit : tv.google Google is poised to discontinue Google Play Movies & TV after more than ten years of service as the Android TV app will be replaced with a new "Shop" button. In order to rent or buy movies and TV series and add them to your library, Google Play Movies & TV was originally introduced in 2011. The service has long been a reliable and well-liked choice, and it offered the benefit of syncing your purchases to other Google services like YouTube. When Google TV was introduced in 2020, it gave a clue that Play Movies would soon be discontinued. The system depended on a "Library" tab to save your previous purchases and immediately integrated purchases and rentals into the homescreen rather than having a Play Movies app. [caption id="attachment_185127" align="aligncenter" width="680"] LetsView[/caption] Google TV was introduced to Android phones in the same year and eventually to iOS devices as well. The service's app on Roku and other smart TV platforms was discontinued by Google in 2021, and users were instead sent to YouTube to access their content, which was a clear degradation. Google Play Movies & TV has only been available for Android TV for more than two years. [caption id="attachment_185130" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Image credit : TechHive[/caption] That appears to be changing today as Google is incorporating purchases into the homescreen to replace the app on Android TV devices that are currently supported. A new "Shop" tab will be added to the homescreen with the upgrade, supporting your current library of movies downloaded from YouTube, Google TV, and Play Movies. Similar to Google TV's "Library" tab, it functions similarly. Also read : Microsoft’s Bing AI introduces contextual chat, widget to Android and iOS Google says this will be supported in 24 countries and will roll out over the “next few weeks.” A message spotted by our Kyle Bradshaw will appear on Android TV devices saying:

Google Play Movies & TV is becoming Shop

However, Google does state that users will still be able to access the Play Movies app, leaving this unfinished business hanging.