If you own an iPhone, iPad and other Apple devices, you would have to get your mobile apps from the App Store. It’s all good until you find Google Play apps that aren’t available in the App Store, such as the Google Play Movies & TV, Google Play Books or the Google Play Newsstand. What do you need to do then?
Simply search and install the free app.
In the case of the Google Play Movies & TV, for example, download and installation start with a search on the App Store. You can type in Google Play or the complete app name. Then, install the free app like you would any other app in the App Store.
Simple, right?
Indeed. But because of tight restrictions that Apple imposed, access may be limited. You can’t buy new films or TV shows directly from the app. You would have to use a browser or get them from the Play Store on an Android device. It’s a roundabout way of downloading and installing apps on your Apple device, but it’s better than nothing.
Google Play Movies & TV doesn’t have a support for 3G/4G streaming either. It’s unclear on whether this is due to an Apple rule or not, but you would have to be wirelessly connected online to order or watch a film or TV show. Thankfully, access to Wi-Fi connection is rarely a problem these days.
Another support that’s missing is AirPlay, which allows you to use an Apple TV to beam videos on a large-screen display. What is available is support for Chromecast, which won’t count until the Google’s streaming HDMI dongle becomes available.
Considering that Google Play and the App Store are on opposite sides of the fence, cross-platform access is expected to be a bit tricky. You can jailbreak your iPhone for full Google Play Store access, but this may not work on all models.
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