Google is quietly discontinuing a popular app next month – here’s how the change affects you

Google is quietly shutting down a popular app that allowed users to purchase top Hollywood movies and TV shows.

The internet giant sent an email to Android TV users notifying them that the Google Play Movies & TV app will no longer be available on your Android TV device starting October 5, 2023.

Instead, customers can purchase or rent movies via the Shop tab on Android TV, while content is also available via YouTube and Google TV.

Some users reacted with surprise to the announcement, with one writing “WTF!?!?” and another saying it was “so sad.”

Others were more scathing, claiming the app was “garbage anyway” and that its removal was because Google “probably couldn’t get anyone to look at its content.”

Scrapped: Google is quietly discontinuing its Google Play Movies & TV app for Android TV customers. The app allowed users to purchase top Hollywood movies and TV shows

The move marks all but the final nail in the coffin for Google’s Play brand.

Launched in 2012, the idea was for Google Play Store, Play Music, Play Newsstand, Play Books and Play Movies & TV to compete with Apple’s offerings across the iPhone range.

But just six years later, the company began phasing out the name.

Play Newsstand was renamed Google News in 2018, Play Music became YouTube Music in 2020, and Play Movies & TV became Google TV for smartphone users in 2021.

This left Google Play Movies & TV only available to Android TV customers, but that too ends next month.

Instead, an update integrates purchases into the homescreen with the new Shop tab, which works similarly to the Library tab on Google TV.

It supports users’ existing library by syncing with Play Movies, Google TV and YouTube.

Many customers won’t notice the difference, especially if they own newer Google TV devices like Chromecast, a streaming media adapter that allows users to play online content like videos and music on a digital TV.

Like on smartphones, the Play Movies & TV app on Chromecast has already been replaced by Google TV.

However, if you own older products like the Nvidia Shield TV, the change will affect how you buy movies and TV shows.

As for the Play brand, only Play Books are now available in the Play Store app.

The store hit the headlines earlier this year when it was revealed that, like Apple’s App Store, it was being flooded with fake reviews that distort the popularity of apps.

Some users reacted with surprise to the announcement, with one writing “WTF!?!?” and another saying it was “so sad”

Others were more scathing, claiming the app was “garbage anyway” and that its removal was because Google “probably couldn’t get anyone to look at its content.”

Change of strategy: The move marks the final nail in the coffin for Google’s Play brand

An investigation found that up to a quarter of reviews in the health and fitness section of Google’s Play Store were suspicious, while at Apple 17 percent were considered fake.

The analysis by consumer group Which? suggests that millions of consumers could be unwittingly giving their personal information or money to apps that have worked their way to the top of the world’s two most popular mobile app stores.

The scale of the problem is so great: what? also found that fake reviews are being openly sold by brokers who pay Google to appear at the top of search results.

These services offer bulk downloads, reviews, or upvotes to boost apps in the rankings and make them appear more reputable if they have been downloaded very often.

Google did not comment on the analysis, but said it took appropriate action against review brokers using its search engine.

Google will now write your emails for you as Gmail will use generative AI

Google will now write your emails for you, the tech giant has announced.

Gmail, its messaging service with over 1.8 billion users worldwide, will leverage the latest generative AI to compose detailed emails with just a simple prompt.

At its annual I/O conference, Google CEO Sundar Pichai revealed the latest development, demonstrating how to write a letter to an airline demanding a refund for a canceled flight.

The “Help me write” feature integrates details from previous emails and also gives the user the opportunity to “elaborate” on them by writing a longer, seemingly more compelling and emotional message.

Mr Pichai said the company was using the latest generative AI – the software behind its chatbot Bard and its rival ChatGPT – to “radically” reimagine all of its core products.

(File photo) Google’s Gmail service will use AI to write entire emails with just one prompt