Of course, life’s not perfect, and not every streaming app plays nicely with Apple TV. Unfortunately, the app that doesn’t work with it is the biggest of them all – Netflix. Every other major streaming service works seamlessly, but for some reason, Netflix doesn’t. This means you have to go into the Netflix app itself to start watching, which is normal for most people, but Apple TV users don’t typically have to deal with this. It’s especially annoying because there was a day earlier this year when the integration was there, and everybody thought it meant Netflix was finally playing ball with Apple. This turned out to be a mistake on Netflix’s part, and the integration was revoked shortly after. For a brief moment, I got to live in a world where Netflix and Apple worked seamlessly, and I can’t figure out why it hasn’t happened for real. The time is now for the two companies to put whatever differences they have aside and make it happen.
Apple TV’s new update is long overdue, and I can’t believe it took so long
I’ve been waiting so long to get my hands on something like this, so it’s nice to finally see Apple deliver.
Come on Netflix, do the right thing
The time is now
I won’t pretend to know how the inner workings of a corporation work, but I can’t see why these two companies would be against working with each other. There are still plenty of reasons why I’d have to open the Netflix app if the two integrated, mainly to scroll through what’s new, so it’s not like I’d never use the app again.
It’s hard to tell what led to the random integration earlier in the year, but what I can say is that it was met with a lot of enthusiasm. It’s hard to find a consumer ever upset about something that makes life easier, and there must be a reason the other streaming services are on board. As somebody who is using a first-gen Apple TV 4K, I appreciate not having to open up a bunch of apps because my device is becoming sluggish as it ages. This is one of the benefits of having everything in one spot, and it’s something that’s unique to Apple.
What’s interesting about everything is Netflix admitted it was a mistake, but an entire can of worms was opened up in the meantime. We learned that the software is ready for Netflix to fully integrate with Apple TV, so there’s something holding it up. I can’t imagine how something like this could accidentally be flipped on like it was, so something bizarre must be going on behind the scenes. Whether it’s a disagreement between the two companies, I don’t know, but I hope they can get something figured out. I use my Apple TV 4K every day, so I can’t even begin to tell you how much I’d appreciate an upgrade like this.
Sadly, companies don’t often do what I want, so I have to deal with what they’ve given me. Netflix not being included in the Apple TV app isn’t the end of the world as it’s the only one that doesn’t participate. Sure, it’s annoying, but it’s something I can deal with. Having a giant watchlist available is certainly nice, and it’s a good thing I can continue to do things like that even without Netflix. Of course, having Netflix would make it better, but I can deal with it not being there. Besides, I started to useLetterboxd as my watchlistthanks to the ease of it all.
Customizing my Apple TV’s aerial screen savers was easier than I thought
Apple TV’s 4K built-in aerial screensavers are a feast for the eyes.
Outdated thinking is exhausting
Get with the times
On the other hand, we’re seeing companies like Xbox concede they’ve lost the console battle and start releasing their content elsewhere just to make up some lost costs. This means games like Gears of War and Sea of Thieves pop up on PS5, and I can easily see something like Halo coming soon. I don’t expect to see Stranger Things appear on Apple TV+, and there’s no reason for Netflix to do anything like that. However, I don’t see what it would hurt if Netflix just let me add Strange Things to my Apple TV watchlist. At this point in time, I don’t see any reason integration can’t happen outside of pure spite. I hope Netflix changes its mind, because that was a really good day for me when everything worked in the Apple TV app. It’s just a shame Netflix doesn’t have the average consumer in mind, because this would be a win-win for everybody, at least in my eyes.
5 features I can’t believe the Netflix app is still missing
Increased customization and more information will improve the experience by a long shot.
