What you need to know
- YouTube confirms it has started rolling out multiview on iOS devices, leaving Android users to wait “for months to come.”
- The multiview version of the YouTube TV app is pretty basic, providing only a set of predefined options rather than allowing users to customize it.
- YouTube TV took “Custom Multiviews” to TVs in February, just in time for March Madness as it supports NCAA basketball games and NBA League Pass.
Users have started noticing multiview appearing on YouTube TV’s iOS app, leaving Android users reeling.
As noted by 9to5Google, YouTube confirmed on Reddit that multiview is now (March 20) rolling out via version 8.11 of its TV app. So far, the feature has only been spotted on Apple’s iPhone and iPad devices. Multiview appears to be accessed via the “Home” tab and only works with a few “selected” games.
A user on Reddit stated that the introduction of multiview on mobile comes without a custom build tool. Those who received the update can only choose from a few pre-determined selections of four games. Another post on Reddit showed what multiview looks like on the iPhone, giving users a clear idea of what to expect when it comes to Android.
Interestingly, a user commented stating that he received a pop-up in the YouTube TV app on Android detailing the arrival of mulitview. Further digging revealed that it isn’t there and we probably shouldn’t expect it for a while.
A member of the YouTube TV team stated “we will be rolling out multiview on Android in the coming months.”
YouTube TV’s “build a multiview” was first spotted in a limited form in late January for smart TVs. The feature has since been officially rolled out, just in time for March Madness. Users will find initial support for NBA League Pass and NCAA basketball games. However, the feature is still quite limited as users can only select games that belong to a single genre.
If you’re watching the NBA, you’ll only find NBA games to accommodate multiview. It is disappointing that the arrival of multiview on mobile lacks this customization, but there is always a chance that it will arrive in the future.
Other news about YouTube TV includes an app that selects a “last channel” shortcut for easier channel switching. To use the new switch, users will have to long press the “select” or “OK” buttons on the remote control. The app shortcut is said to work with live TV, video on demand and DVR content.