why can't we use Google Play Store to buy Google Play movies?

Question

why can't we use Google Play Store to buy Google Play movies?

I understand, obviously, why you can't buy an Android app in the Google Play store and expect to be able to download and run it on an iPhone. But why isn't there a Google Play store app for the iPhone, which you can use to buy movies that you can then watch in the Google Play Movies for iPhone app?

I use the Google Play store on my laptop or on my Android tablet to buy and watch movies, and once I've already bought a movie through the Play store on one of those devices, I can open Google Play Movies on the iPhone and watch the movie. But if I'm on my iPhone, there's no Google Play Store app to actually *buy* the movie. (I can go to https://play.google.com/ in Safari of course, but it's clunkier than using the app.)

Does anybody know why? Did Google decide not to release the Play Store app for the iPhone because they don't want people buying Android apps and trying to install them on the iPhone? (In that case I wish they'd just released a version of Play Store for the iPhone that is limited to movies and TV shows.) Or is Apple refusing to allow the Google Play store on iPhone because it would compete with their own iTunes store?

I tried googling why there is no Google Play Store for the iPhone, but I just got a lot of pages saying that there *is* no Google Play Store for iPhone, no pages explaining why not.

Posted on Jan 28, 2016 11:27 AM

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Answer 1

AKRBTN

Level 6

8,869 points

Jan 28, 2016 2:07 PM in response to bennetthaselton

You answered your own question. Apple doesn't want other retailers being able to sell products which can be directly downloaded. You can't buy and download books on the iOS Kindle app either.

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Answer 2

Feb 1, 2017 11:40 AM in response to bennetthaselton

It violates apples terms of service. They do that to protect people from buying things on accident or from getting cheated by an app creato.

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Answer 3

Jan 29, 2016 6:11 PM in response to bennetthaselton

Most likely it's Google that is preventing it, not Apple.

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Answer 4

Jan 28, 2016 11:31 AM in response to bennetthaselton

These are user to user forums. Do you really think anyone here would know the real reason why there's no Play Store app on iOS? Contact Google and ask them.

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Answer 5

Jan 29, 2016 6:07 PM in response to AKRBTN

But they allow the Google Play application itself. If they were really trying to cut off competition and just make people go through iTunes, they wouldn't even allow the Google Play application. (Since it enables me to buy my movies in the Play Store on another device, and then watch them through Google Play on my phone, which is what I currently do. If they didn't allow that, I'd have to go through iTunes.)

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Answer 6

Phil0124

Level 10

217,454 points

Feb 1, 2017 11:56 AM in response to Lawrence Finch

I tend to agree with Lawrence.

It would be up to Google to submit a Google Play Store App to Apple for inclusion in their App Store. Apple has no issues allowing Netflix, or Hulu which offer similar services, so no reason to block Google either.

I doubt Apple would limit any App if it meant more people buying their devices because they can use more services on them.

I can imagine google not wanting one there to prevent this, or simply because limiting to only movies and tv shows may not mean a significant enough revenue stream to warrant the development and deployment time, plus the extra expense of maintenance on iOS devices. It may simply not be a viable option for them.

I would also wager the confusion of having a Google Play Store on iOS devices without any Apps would swamp the support services for both google and apple asking why there are no Apps.

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