Updated November 7, 2018: A Microsoft spokesperson reached out to us and said, "We're always looking for ways to evolve the Xbox experience and regularly update Xbox features based on fan feedback and community engagement. Xbox gamers can still enjoy TV content on their Xbox One console or by streaming to the Xbox app on Windows 10 devices." While the statement doesn't answer the question of why the feature was removed in the first place, it at least confirms that the experience will evolve in the future.
A few years ago, Microsoft gave gamers the ability to stream live television to their tablets and smartphones through the Xbox app. Since then, many gamers have used this feature because not everyone owns a Windows 10 device. If you were using an iOS and Android device, then this was the only way.
Unfortunately, it looks like the iOS and Android Xbox app will be losing this feature soon. The company has sent messages to numerous Xbox One owners — including us — which stated the following.
You may have streamed TV content using a USB TV tuner from your Xbox console to the Xbox app. In 30 days, the Xbox app will no longer support this functionality. You will still be able to watch TV content on your Xbox One console via streaming to the Xbox app on Windows 10.
It's unclear why Microsoft took this decision, but it seems like the company wants to limit availability, potentially with a lack of usage. We've reached out to Microsoft for comment and shall update you as soon as we receive a response from the team.
The company has removed a number of Xbox entertainment features recently, and this probably won't sit well with iOS and Android TV-goers. Hopefully Microsoft will announce a replacement soon or incorporate it into the upcoming streaming service which is expected to enter beta next year.
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