Google has announced that it will be shutting down its Google Play Movies & TV app on Roku streaming devices and Samsung, LG and Vizio smart TVs from June 15.
The company first announced the change on its support page last month.
“Starting 6/15/2021, the Google Play Movies & TV app will no longer be available on Roku, Samsung, LG, and Vizio smart TVs”, said Google. “The YouTube app will be your new home for movies and shows”.
Now, Google is contacting users directly to ensure they’re aware of these changes and what they can do now.
Google is shutting down the Google Play Movies & TV apps for Roku, Samsung, LG, and Vizio smart TVs on June 15, but past purchases should be available in the YouTube apps for those platforms, and you can use Play credits with YouTube. Watchlists won't transfer though. pic.twitter.com/WJh0qAYTPg
— Liliputing (@liliputingnews) April 12, 2021
According to a screenshot shared by Lilputing on Twitter, users will continue to have access to all of their previous purchases and be able to buy and rent movies via YouTube. Google is offering a free credit to users affected by the change as a “thank you” gift for using the service.
Here’s how to access your Google Play TV & Movies purchases going forward.
How to access your Google Play Movies & TV purchases
To see your Google Play Movies & TV purchases on your Roku, Samsung, LG or Vizio smart TV, you’ll first need to install YouTube on your device.
Then simply follow the below steps:
- Sign in to the app with your usual Google Play Movies & TV login credentials
- Click on the ‘Library’ tab
- Select ‘Your movies and shows’ to access your purchases
You’ll also be able to see your Play Family Library purchases and can continue to share those titles with your family. However, it’s important to note that future purchases made via YouTube will not support the family sharing feature.
YouTube also does not support Google Play Watchlists, meaning you’ll need to set up YouTube Playlists going forward.
However, the app does support Google Play credits, meaning you can continue to use them (and your free “thank you” credit) to make purchases via YouTube.
For more YouTube tips, check out our guides for how to transfer your Google Play Music library to YouTube Music, how to loop YouTube videos and how to tell if your YouTube content is at risk of being copyrighted.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
