Google Play Movies & TV App on Android TV Goes Away in October

Google has slowed played the death of Google Play Movies & TV on Android TV over the years, first with the introduction of the Google TV platform that didn’t need it and most recently the “Shop” tab on other Android TV boxes. Today, Google announced that the Play Movies & TV app that has remained on Android TV will go away in October.

In an email sent to Android TV owners, Google marked October 5, 2023 as the day the app will go away, saying that it “will no longer be available on your Android TV device” but that you can “continue to buy or rent movies directly through the Shop tab” if you want. And that makes sense as the alternative, since Google brought the Shop tab over in June. The writing was on the wall at that point.

Google Play Movies & TV started to slip from existence in 2020 when Google TV showed up as the newer, better-supported alternative and platform. Play Movies & TV then ditched other devices like Roku and smart TVs a year later before Google pulled the Play Movies & TV section from Google Play on phones and tablets in favor of Google TV. While Google TV is still horrible at showcasing the content you own on TV devices, it looks sort of pretty, I guess.

Here’s the full email going out to users:

So come October 5, the actual Google Play Movies & TV app will disappear somehow. That could be through an Android TV update or through Google Play, but either way, Google says to say your goodbyes. As someone who uses the app regularly to view content I’ve purchased, this one hurts a bit.

See you around, Play Movies & TV.