You can no longer sign up for Hulu from Android devices, here’s why

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Lately, Google has made a lot of changes to how Android apps handle payments, and those changes are starting to affect people in multiple ways. The latest is that users cannot sign up for Hulu on the Android app or on Android smart TVs.

Google recently began enforcing its latest billing methods, which require developers to shell out a small fee or percentage of sales from in-app purchases. And while we haven’t seen too many drastic changes yet, it looks like Hulu could be one of many.

9to5Google recently noted that the dedicated Hulu app on Android phones and Android TV-based smart TVs no longer allows customers to create an account. By this we mean that you cannot start a new Hulu subscription or even sign up for a free trial. Only existing users can login to the app.

The Hulu logo on $1 bills.
JJ Gouin/Shutterstock

If you want to try Hulu’s free trial, to which you’ll eventually need to add billing information or start a new Hulu subscription, you’ll need to do so on the Hulu website. It’s not even an option in the app anymore, and if you’re using an Android smart TV, you can’t do it at all. Instead, you will have to go to the website or use a non-Android device.

Originally, the Hulu Android and Android TV app had a popup that said, “Plans starting at $5.99/month” and there was a big button to “Start your free trial” or sign in. Now, you can only login, and the message now says: “Are you trying to sign up for Hulu? Sorry, we can’t do registrations in the app. If you’re already a subscriber, sign in below to start watching.”

While Hulu hasn’t directly said that Google’s policy changes are to blame, it’s pretty obvious that the service doesn’t want users signing up through the Google app or the Play Store. Instead, it will direct you elsewhere so Hulu doesn’t have to pay a fee.

To be fair, Google announced these changes in 2020 and only started enforcing them sometime in April 2022. The developers have had plenty of time to come up with a solution. Also, it looks like Google might offer support for third-party app payments soon.

Either way, if you want to try a Hulu trial or start a new membership, good luck doing so on your Android TV.

via 9to5Google

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