X

Microsoft reportedly making Movies & TV apps for iOS and Android

Soon it may not require Windows 10 Mobile to watch content from Microsoft's store.

Abrar Al-Heeti Technology Reporter
Abrar Al-Heeti is a technology reporter for CNET, with an interest in phones, streaming, internet trends, entertainment, pop culture and digital accessibility. She's also worked for CNET's video, culture and news teams. She graduated with bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Though Illinois is home, she now loves San Francisco -- steep inclines and all.
Expertise Abrar has spent her career at CNET analyzing tech trends while also writing news, reviews and commentaries across mobile, streaming and online culture. Credentials
  • Named a Tech Media Trailblazer by the Consumer Technology Association in 2019, a winner of SPJ NorCal's Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2022 and has three times been a finalist in the LA Press Club's National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards.
Abrar Al-Heeti
2 min read
Microsoft
Stephen Brashear / Getty Images

Microsoft is reportedly expanding its Movies & TV app to iOS and Android.

The app is currently available on Windows-based platforms such as Windows 10 PC, Xbox and Windows 10 Mobile. But customers who purchase TV shows and movies from Microsoft's store will soon be able to watch content from their Apple and Android devices, Windows Central reported Thursday. Microsoft declined to comment or confirm.

Microsoft is creating the apps as an incentive for people to buy Microsoft Store content, since they'll have more ways to watch, a source told the publication. Many people rely on streaming services like Netflix or Hulu, but not all content is immediately available on those platforms. A mobile companion app could make Microsoft's store a more viable option for consumers who like to watch content on their non-Windows phones. 

There are currently ways to link an iPhone or Android to your PC so you can browse across both platforms. But the new iOS and Android Movies & TV apps would extend the link between phone and computer.

Microsoft has recently moved away from some of its other mobile endeavors. In October, the company said it would no longer focus on Windows 10 Mobile. It also ended its streaming music and download service Groove Music. This reported step for Movies & TV signifies the company's willingness to not only delve into the mobile world but also to get involved with Android and iOS.

Windows Central said only that the Movies & TV iOS and Android apps will be available "soon." 

First published July 5, 1:28 p.m. PT
Update, 3:34 p.m.:
Adds that Microsoft declined to comment or confirm. 

iHate: CNET looks at how intolerance is taking over the internet.

Blockchain Decoded: CNET looks at the tech powering bitcoin -- and soon, too, a myriad services that will change your life.