Google Play Movies and TV gets AirPlay support, but Apple TV app still missing
Google has updated its iOS app to support AirPlay streaming from your phone or tablet to the Apple TV. It's worth noting that currently, Google does not have a native Play Movies and TV tvOS app for Apple TV. Last time we checked, there were no Google tvOS apps at all on the Apple TV App Store.
If you have movies or TV shows stored on your Google Play account, you’ll need the third- or fourth generation Apple TV running software 7.0 or higher to be able to stream them via AirPlay. Native Apple TV apps only work on the newest fourth-generation Apple set-top box.
Why this matters: Google seems to be dipping its toes slowly into the Apple TV, just like other Apple rivals. Amazon is rumored to be working on a tvOS app for Amazon Instant Video. Following AirPlay support, it may be only a matter of time before Google apps surface on the Apple TV App Store. Google Hangouts is another one we’d love to see as a tvOS app.
Apple has not disclosed how many tvOS apps are currently in its nascent Apple TV App Store, but third-party analytics firm, appFigures, estimates there are about 2,600 apps. As the ecosystem continues to expand, Apple is looking to create a seamless experience between iOS and tvOS. According to MacRumors, the iOS App Store will start identifying which iOS apps have a tvOS component, similarly to how the store tells you which apps have Apple Watch versions.