Come this June, Google will be discontinuing its official Google Play Movies and TV apps on Roku devices as well as smart TV platforms from Samsung, LG, and Vizio.
The Google Play Video App Is Leaving Every Roku and Most Smart TVs
The software will be removed from every Roku device and most smart television sets made by Samsung, LG, and Vizo, as evidenced by a support document on Google's website.
Starting in June 2021, the Google Play Movies and TV app will no longer be available on LG smart TVs, Samsung smart TVs, Vizio smart TVs, and Roku devices.
After July 15, any movies or TV shows that you have rented or purchased through the Google Play store will continue to be available via the YouTube app on these devices or as listed below:
- Android: the YouTube app or the Google TV app
- iOS: the YouTube app or the Google Play Movies and TV app
- Roku: the YouTube app
- Smart TVs from Samsung, LG, and Vizio: the YouTube app
- Chromecast: the Google TV app
- Android TV: the Google Play Movies and TV app
- Web: the YouTube website or the Google Play Movies and TV website
"The YouTube app will be your new home for movies and shows," Google notes.
When accessing your past purchases through the YouTube app on the aforementioned devices, look for them in "Your movies and shows" under the app's Library section. The YouTube app also lets you purchase and rent new content from the Play Store.
You must use the YouTube app as a logged-in user to see your purchases. You must use the same Google account for YouTube as the account you've used to make those purchases in the Google Play Movies and TV app.
About Your Watchlist and Movies Anywhere
The one thing that won't transfer over to YouTube is your Watchlist in the Google Play Moves and TV app. For the time being, you can view your Watchlist on the web by doing a Google search for "my watchlist." For what it's worth, the company advises setting up playlists on YouTube as a replacement for your Watchlist.
The change will also affect folks who have used the Movies and TV app to access Movies Anywhere, Disney's service for redeeming digital copies of movies on DVDs and Blu-rays. Google has confirmed to The Verge that users can continue to access their Movies Anywhere content through the YouTube app and website.
Google has also confirmed that your previously purchased video content will not be viewable on LG's NetCast and SimpleSmart devices.
Family Purchases and Google Play Credits
This change won't affect your family's ability to share the content purchased from Google's Movie and TV store and view those purchases on YouTube.
However, any purchases made in the YouTube app will not be eligible for family sharing, the company has clarified. "Purchases made on the Google Play website or app will continue to support family sharing," reads Google's email message to customers.
Don't worry about this change affecting your Google Play credits---they haven't vanished and you can still use them to buy or rent the latest movies and TV shows in the YouTube app. And last but not least, Google is offering affected customers a gift code that can be redeemed against their next movie or TV purchase made through YouTube.