YouTube TV brings multiview to iOS but leaves Android behind

I’ve got some good news and some “Seriously, Google?” news. The good news is Multiview – the feature that lets YouTube TV subscribers watch up to four games at once – is finally coming to smaller screens, as noted by 9to5Google. But here’s the part that stings a bit: it’s rolling out first on iOS and iPadOS, with Android set to arrive “in the coming months.”

With March Madness in full swing today, Multiview has been my go-to setup for watching games. If you’re watching any live NBA or NCAA game, press down on your remote, click “Watch in Multiview” and then “Build a Multiview.” It’s a simple and easy way to keep tabs on those buzzer-beaters without flipping channels every two seconds. You can split your screen to watch up to four games at a time and you can even build your own multiview now. It’s a killer feature on your TV screen, and now it’s finally portable (for some, at least.)

If you’re rocking an iPhone or iPad and want to load up Multiview, the first step is to make sure your YouTube TV app is updated to version 8.11 or later. Once you’re updated, keep an eye out for multiview options in sections like “Top Picks for You” or “Watch in multiview” whenever live games are happening. Want a sneak peek at how it all looks on iOS? Check out this quick video from u/_oh_jay on Reddit.

Android support “in the coming months”

YouTube TV says that Multiview for Android devices is set to arrive “in the coming months.” I know that YouTube TV has a massive reach outside of Google fans and it’s likely easier to launch new features on Apple’s locked-down ecosystem, but it’s still a bummer. At the end of the day, YouTube TV is a Google product and it would be nice to enjoy Multiview on my Pixel 8 or Pixel Tablet if I am out of the house. I’m not sure how much I would use it on my phone since the streams would be so small, but I think it would be great on an Android tablet or a folding phone. I guess I’ll just have to borrow my wife’s iPhone for now.