Now that Apple TV+ is on Android I can finally get it for free

The long wait is over. Apple TV+ has finally made its way to Android devices after popping up on everything from game consoles to smart TVs. I can’t say for certain what was holding Apple back, but I’m glad the day is finally here so I can start utilizing the Google Play Store with my Apple TV+ subscription.

If you’re like me, one of the best parts of owning an Android device is taking advantage of Google Opinion Rewards that give you money for completing them. The money you earn goes into your account balance, which can then be used for purchases on the Play Store, including streaming service subscriptions.

These Google surveys exist on iOS devices, but instead of having the money go into your store balance, you get paid out over PayPal, so it’s not the same feeling for me. I like the idea of building up a balance and then using it to get services for free, especially since I can typically bank up close to $10 a month. I try to get all the subscriptions I can through the Play Store for this reason, so I’m glad Apple finally hopped on board as it was the last major streaming service I can think of that was missing.

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Everything’s finally in one place

Long have I waited

Pocket-lint / Apple

I have to admit that I didn’t take advantage of the Play Store’s benefits for a long time, but after realizing how much I was leaving on the table by subscribing to services through websites, I had to change my ways. Nowadays, everything I sign up for is through the Play Store if it allows for it, and it makes signing up and canceling a breeze.

Staying with the Apple TV+ example, it was a hassle in the past having to go through my Apple TV 4K to sign up or cancel my subscription. With it being the only Apple device I have, it was a necessary evil, but Apple let me get around that issue now. It’s hard to overstate how nice it is to have everything neatly tucked away into one area. There’s no more having to navigate to the Max website, Netflix website, etc. to cancel a service — I can do it all from the Play Store.

Another benefit of going through the Google Play Store is raking up the Play Points that can be exchanged for Google Play Credit or free months of services like Canva Pro or Paramount+. It’s a nice benefit of using the same hub for everything, so that’s what I’m glad Apple decided to finally release an Android app. I don’t stay subscribed to streaming services for more than a month at a time usually, but with Apple TV+ being relatively cheap at $10 a month, I should be able to get it for free if I have enough rewards banked up. If you spend enough on the store, you can get bumped into higher tiers that reward more points per purchase. More points mean more freebies, so it’s a win all around.

If you’re not familiar with how the surveys work, it’s a rather simple process. I have the Google Opinion Rewards app installed, and switching on the location settings lets it know where I’m traveling. Oftentimes, I’ll get a survey or two a day asking if I went to a specific place and made a purchase. Sometimes, it thinks I went somewhere that I didn’t, likely because I went somewhere next door instead, so if I tell it I didn’t go to any of the locations listed, I still make 10 cents a pop just by answering.

Some of the more involved surveys ask me to look at varying Google search results pages and determine which one I liked better. These surveys can pay up to $1 at a time, so those are the lucrative picks. If you get a few of those a month, it can cut down a lot on those monthly subscription fees. You should be able to go through all of your store credit before it expires, so don’t worry about having to panic purchase anything.

You can also move up the reward tiers in the Google Play Store by spending more money, and yes, subscriptions work here too. Subscriptions such as Apple TV+ on the Play Store are essentially passive income for anybody who subscribes. I’m not one to turn down free money, so this beats having to subscribe through my Apple TV 4K.

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Apple TV+ works nice on Android too

Everything works, but it’s barebones

With a service as mature as Apple TV+, it makes a lot of sense that its Android app works fine. Apple TV+ launched back in 2019, and it’s since made its way to just about every platform available outside of Android. Even though I don’t have an iPad, I have no issues to report with Apple TV+ running on my Galaxy Tab S6. Everything works as seamlessly as you’d expect, and my Keep Watching tab stays the same going from my tablet to my Apple TV 4K+. Strangely, I have no access to any of my purchased content. The only thing available is the Apple TV+ content itself.

Although I wish the service had come years earlier, it’s better late than never. While I don’t like to watch a lot of stuff on my little tablet screen, it’s still nice to be able to browse the various services and add things to my watchlist that I can watch on my TV later. Considering this was never an option before for me with Apple TV+, it’s nice to have it now.

Knowing the app works fine is one thing, whether there’s something on the service worth watching is another thing entirely. Despite being around for several years now, Apple TV+ hasn’t made major moves for me to be interested in staying with the service for a long time. After you get through shows like Ted Lasso or Severance, there’s really not a lot else going on. I suppose that’s not entirely a bad thing, since you can save some money by not staying subscribed for months on end. I know that’s not good news if you’re Apple, but as a consumer, it shouldn’t be something you have to worry about.

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