Key Highlights
- Meta has discontinued the Facebook Watch app on tvOS
- The app is however still listed on the App Store
It appears that watching videos from your Facebook friends on Apple TV is apparently no longer possible. Facebook Watch on Apple TV has been discontinued by Meta. According to 9to5Mac, the Facebook app for smart TVs which lets users watch a variety of movies, shows, and live streaming on the network may no longer be accessible on Apple TV.
According to a post on MacRumors by a user who tried to open Facebook Watch on their Apple TV 4K received a notice that says, “The Facebook Watch TV app is no longer available, but you can still find lots of videos on Facebook at www.facebook.com/watch.” As per a report by The Verge, there are many other users who have reported experiencing a similar experience.
The Facebook Watch app allowed users to play videos and live streams from the social network on their Apple TV. The videos could be live streaming, trending videos, original shows, or ones that friends have shared on Facebook.
Before debuting on Apple TV in 2017, the app first rolled out on Samsung smart TVs. Additionally, the app is available on various other smart TVs, consoles, and on Facebook’s mobile app and desktop site. To access the videos, users need to log into their Facebook accounts on their Apple TV.
Compared to rival streaming platforms, Apple TV+, the company’s streaming addition to its TV device, has been losing ground. As reported by 9to5Mac, Apple TV+’s market share in the United States in the fourth quarter of 2020 was barely 3 percent compared to Netflix, Disney+, and even Peacock. The company has been flooding the platform with new web shows and movies but it is still one of the least popular streaming platforms.
It is not confirmed if the Facebook Watch app is no longer available owing to a bug caused by the latest update or if the Meta-owned platform has completely removed the app from the Apple TV. Why the Facebook Watch app was discontinued on Apple TV is still unclear. However, Apple TV is still listed as one of the supported platforms for Facebook Watch.
