Apple‘s iTunes will no longer be the place to find TV shows and movies for rent or purchase from the tech giant.
Starting Monday, the iTunes Store app on iPhone and iPad will redirect users searching for TV and film titles to the newly redesigned Apple TV app. In addition, the iTunes Movies and iTunes TV Shows apps on Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD streaming devices also will kick users over to the Apple TV app on those platforms.
The updated Apple TV app (released as part of iOS 17.2 and tvOS 17.2) features a new sidebar that provides access to Apple TV+, the company’s subscription streaming service; MLS Season Pass, home of Major League Soccer; Store, where users can buy and rent movies and shows; and shortcuts to channels and apps viewers already have, such as Disney+, Paramount+, Amazon’s Prime Video and Max.
The Store tab in the Apple TV app now unifies movies and TV shows in one place, and it replaces iTunes as the point-of-sale for transactional video-on-demand titles. Meanwhile, the Apple TV app’s new Add Channels & Apps shelf lets users explore and subscribe to popular streaming services.
The Apple TV app’s new sidebar also introduces Home, a unified guide for all the shows, movies and sports viewers love. Within Home, the Channels & Apps section lets users browse each of their subscribed channels or connected apps in detail. The app’s collections — including New Shows & Movies, Top Charts, Trending and For You — are where users will find the top recommendations for them.
“The redesigned Apple TV app makes it easier than ever for users to watch the shows, movies and sports they love through an intuitive interface that brings content to the forefront,” Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior VP of services, said in a statement. “With so much available to watch, our aim is to ensure users always have their favorites at their fingertips.”
On living-room devices, the sidebar of the Apple TV app also will feature profiles, allowing households to more easily switch among different user profiles to see their “up next” queues and personalized content recommendations.
