Earlier this week, Twitch announced that they’ve updated their Android app to finally feature Video-On-Demand (VODs) along with a top to bottom Lollipop update. Twitch.tv is the most popular platform used by broadcasters to livestream playthroughs of games to their followers. It also used as the main form of media through which most e-sport events and competitions, as well as other gaming-related events, are viewed. As a result, the traffic the site generates is so colossal that it was considered the fourth largest source of peak internet traffic in the United States. Twitch itself was acquired by Amazon.com for $970 million back in September 2014.
Despite the impressive résumé the platform boasts, the lack of VODs on the Android has been a sticking issue for users, with many lamenting the fact that to catch up on past broadcasts from their favourite streamers they would have to view them through the platform’s desktop website. Even more surprising is the distinctive lack of a mobile version of the website, denying users the ability to leaving users with no other choice than the ones mentioned above. Surprisingly the restrictions are not applied to Android users, for in this rare instance, the app’s iOS counterpart is also lacking a VODs feature.
Twitch states that the newly available video on demand content can be found by tapping on a HTTP Live-Streaming (HLS) enabled channel’s activity feed. Alternatively, searching for or selecting from your following list a channel that is offline will result in the app taking you directly to the channel’s activity feed.
While the Android version got updated to V 4.0, a security flaw unique to Android was identified with the previous version of the app resulting in the Twitch to re-list the app on the Play Store. This event necessitated users to uninstall the old app and install the new one, rather than simply updating the legacy app. As of May 20th, Twitch will no longer support the older V 3.2.3 of the Twitch app.
Apple users need not feel left out since Twitch soon rolled out an update for its iOS app as well.
