After getting the boot, Fandango finally returns to Windows Phone 8

By Daniel Rubino
last updated

Back on October 30th, we reported that the popular ticketing site Fandango had their app removed from the Windows Phone Store. The reason? Terrible reviews and a non-functioning app will evidently get you in hot trouble with your customers, so either Fandango yanked it or Microsoft did. Nevertheless, users of the service were out of luck, right when Windows Phone was hitting its stride.

Luckily for us, the app is back tonight on the Store. Version 1.6 has returned with Windows Phone 8 support (and gone is anything for Windows Phone 7.x, which was probably the culprit). We haven’t seen much in the way of updates for Fandango, in fact, the last one was back in April…2012.

So what’s new in 1.6? Not too much. All we get are ‘Usability enhancements and general bug fixes’ and the fact that, you know, you can actually download the darn thing again. We’ll take that as a starter and hope that Fandango gets back to us with some Windows Phone 8 features. For instance, there is no lockscreen support, a doublewide tile or even rapid resume. Not deal breakers but we had the app crash a few times already.  But hey, we’re just psyched to get the app works again.

So why use Fandango at all? Well, you have to understand Fandango isn’t just a movie theaters and times app. The Fandango service allows you to buy tickets directly for a movie and then use a QR code for scanning when you go to the theater. In the age where we order pizza via our phones (hello, Domino’s!), grabbing tickets for the next Scorsese film through our phone should be basic stuff in 2014. So that’s why we use it and why we’re glad it’s back. Now if they can just make this a banner app, we’d be happy (maybe the Nokia DVLUP folks can get involved).

Regardless, you can now pick up Fandango version 1.6 for Windows Phone 8 here in the Store or scan the QR below.

Thanks, Scott N., for the tip!

Daniel Rubino
Daniel Rubino
Editor-in-chief

Daniel Rubino is the Editor-in-chief of Windows Central, head reviewer, podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been covering Microsoft since 2007 when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, laptops, next-gen computing, and for some reason, watches. Before all this tech stuff, he worked on a Ph.D. in linguistics, watched people sleep (for medical purposes!), and ran the projectors at movie theaters because it was fun.

67 Comments
  • How does it compare to flixster?
  • You can't buy tickets thru Flixster, so night/day. If just using it for movie times/locations, it's just personal preference.
  • Does it work outside the US? I'm in the UK and use the unofficial Cineworld app (which is fantastic). But if you went to another cinema in the UK, would Fandingo work then?
  • The unofficial cineworld app is great ^.^
  • One of the changes is that it finally gets QR support. Before, it would only give you the order number.
  • Windows Phone 7.x support is gone, yeah yeah. I get that. But for the freaking love of design, can't developers handle the square icons and get rid of those rounded corners!!! Grab yourself a copy of GIMP at least…
  • You know, you can also purchase tickets with the Poynt app - which I have been using since Fandango was pulled. And Poynt - which has been around forever (WP 7) is damned stable.
  • Didn't know this. Which also forces the question, If I don't know that you can purchase movie tickets thru Poynt, how will a novice Windows Phone user know when searching for a brand name like 'Fandango'? Don't get me wrong, I get your point and it's 'good to know' but honestly, nothing makes up for having a 1st party app in this case.
  • How abt reviewing that one and posting it as an alternative for ppl here Daniel...? Maybe that might get some competition going between the two...
  • +1 to this!
  • Well your comment points to the horrible job all these marketplaces and app stores do at actually helping you find an app with specific features. But, at $0.99 an app I'm not sure the economics are there to support anything about that in terms of a more precise app search experience.
  • well - app stores are just a centralized internet. you are not looking through every webpage if you want a job to be done or install every piece of software. you go by known products or by suggested products.
  • Weird, it's always worked amazing for me. Never even knew it was removed. :/
  • Same here, it always worked for me. I knew it was removed due to the previous article here about it being removed, and when I did a warranty replacement for my 920 I couldn't reinstall it.
  • I am really happy it's back, but I'm like you.  It never stopped working for me.  Now I did have some issues with listings accuracy this past week, but that's probably a database/web site issue rather than this app.
  • That didnt take long
  • This is one app I was actually missing after getting my 1520. Really glad to see its return.
  • Pathetic
  • No this is good news!
  • People still watch movies in theaters?
  • We're still stuck in the past man ;-)
  • Oh we have a badass over here
  • Yes, those old fashioned places that blow away any home theater setup. I'm so sick of people thinking newer is always better. I believe the opposite is oftentimes true.
  • We were at a theater today, and I had to laugh that all the advertising was for TV shows.
  • You've got to be trolling. Hundreds of millions of people go to the cinemas each week... Hence why they measure a movies success by its takings in the box office, especially in the opening weekend or first week.
  • at this really is a shame knowing the story behind 2013 releases. and boy. the prices. take a family to a 3d Movie with popcorn and nachos and you could spend quite a fortune
  • Yep. Some movies can't be enjoyed right at home.3D and movies named Star Trek. :)
  • People still want to legally watch a movie when it is first available, before everyone blabs the secrets, in a larger venue with better sound and sometimes 3d than at home?
  • Great I used this all the time to buy tickets as you can pick up from an atm and skip the lines
  • +1
  • qr code brings up traffic frenzy, not fandango
  • Damn, fixing
  • OMG now this is an app I used nearly every two weeks before I bought my 1520 (pulled from store before that could happen). Im excited to see how it works. :)
  • Glad it's back. My feelings were hurt.
  • Yessss....
  • Hmm, ticket purchasing not supported in Canada I guess. Looks like I'll be waiting for Cineplex to release a WP8 app then (who am I kidding, they'll never develop one!).
  • Wow... Cineplex... I haven't heard that name for over a decade. It's all Hoyts or Greater Union here in Australia
  • Ya, still going strong here in Canada (well, Western Canada at least).
  • I just #BING SERVICES ALL DAY..
  • If terrible reviews and a non-functioning app will get you pulled why is Microsoft still selling Bejeweled? I really wish you could get your money back for broken apps.
  • Or Words With Friends. Really wish they'd fix that.
  • , I never uninstalled... While it would crash on startup every once in a while, it still wasn't bad
  • Thanks for mentioning Poynt. Great app I didn't know about!
  • No worries. And I am with you on the WWFriends app. It may be the ONLY app that actually seems to get worse with each new version. ;)
  • Anyone else notice it's using an iOS icon, and not a square Windows Phone icon?
  • I don't see it. It looks square to me on Lumina 920 - Windows Phone 8
  • Please let me know when they finally give this a decent update. Gonna keep using flixster for the time being...
  • Moviefone is still my goto and should be a model for great design
  • It's still not working so great ' when I open it ' it close immediately and I have to open it again. It was doing before uninstall the first time.
  • Super quick. Haven't used it since my HD7S but it's crazy fast now.
  • Fandangoooo. WWE. Sorry had to be done.
  • You mean Faaaann - daaaaannnn - gooooo.
  • Works in Canada!
  • It is frustrating that WP apps are such low quality compered with IOS's
  • Glad to hear its back. Its a nice app to have
  • Can't believe there's no MSN Movies app.
  • Well, you have it sort of built into WP8 already.
  • Its amazing how there's so many windows app that barely or never get updated.
  • They just essentially threw this back in the market with couple of bug fixes and no real WP8 support live tiles or double wide. Eh.
  • Funny to see people complain about lack of WP8 features when gamers have been told to suck it when games are released lacking Xbox live. Isn't having the app enough, like we are told when a game is released sans Xbox live?
  • Who complaining? I just pointed out the obvious. Don't read so hard. If I'm gonna complain its gonna be about their lack of updates over 1 1/2 and waiting till it got pulled to fix the laggy ass app. LOL. SMH
  • I just downloaded and it crashed 3 times in 10 minutes on me SMH
  • Glad its back! Also seems to fit 720p screens better
  • Glad it is back. When I got the 1520 I could not install because it was pulled. Now it is back and downloaded!
  • IT would be nice if they let you buy tickets for reserved seats. They still have not fixed that ablity. We have Fork and screen and cinama seating at AMC 30. I only go to movies to see the movie useing one of those 2 theaters types. I guess I can look up the times here then go to the website to do the rest. 
  • Well, I've had to swear off Fandango.  Just purchased movie tickets online (as a guest) and my confirmation was sent to some random other customer in NY.  Awesome...they can't even handle an online purchase properly.
  • "In the age where we order pizza via our phones" You know... mankind has been ordering pizza via their phones for going on a century now! Hi, I'm THAT guy! :P