June 13th 2012 11:54 am PT

Enhanced “My Xbox LIVE” apps for iOS and Android available today

After a big news week with E3, we now have some great news for iOS and Android users.

Starting today, the My Xbox LIVE app for iPhone gets even better. The free My Xbox LIVE iPhone app update will let you find, learn more about, and control your favorite content from popular entertainment services on Xbox 360. You can control the content on your console with play, pause, fast forward and rewind controls directly from your iPhone. The new Discover section will let you find fresh entertainment through your phone to play on your console. You can also access on your phone a quick list of your most recent console activity.

We’re also updating the My Xbox LIVE app on iPad, which allows you to connect to the Xbox LIVE community when you’re away from your Xbox. With today’s update, we have added retina display support, and improved authentication making connecting your iPad with your Xbox LIVE account easier than ever.

Also available for the first time on most Android phones, the free My Xbox LIVE app allows you to read and send messages to friends; manage your friends list and invite new friends; read and edit your full LIVE profile (name, bio, motto); change your avatar features and items with the avatar closet; and view and compare your achievement progress with friends.

Here are some screenshots of the Android app

Some of the updates coming to iOS include:

Discover fresh content (iPhone)
Connect to and control content on your Xbox 360 (iPhone)
Improved authentication (iPad)
Retina display support (iPad)

The new My Xbox LIVE app for Android phones will offer the ability to:

View, manage, and message friends
View and compare your achievement progress with friends
Read and Edit your full LIVE profile (name, bio, motto)
See your 3-D Avatar and customize it while on-the-go
Access your recent activity and manage your Beacons
Stay connected to the Xbox LIVE community via Spotlight

Download the latest version of the universal iOS App here (free)

Download the Android App here (free)

No, this is not Xbox SmartGlass that we unveiled last week at E3. This is a milestone update to the My Xbox LIVE app on iOS and the first release of the app on Android.

Yes, we do intend to bring Xbox SmartGlass to several platforms over time, but have no details to share right now.

Xbox 360, Xbox Live By Larry Hryb, Xbox LIVE's Major Nelson

permalink: http://majornelson.com/2012/06/13/enhanced-my-xbox-live-apps-for-ios-and-android-available-today/

http://twitter.com/jonjaques Jonathan Jaques

Have been waiting for this, Thanks Major
http://twitter.com/boe2BE Boe2

Just tried the android app. It’s awesome, but why are all my achievements in french?
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1323575184 Rich Unsworth

is this coming to blackberry???
http://twitter.com/jrock3x8 Jason Williams

Larry, we fans like to pile on when MS gets simple stuff wrong (for whatever the reason) – it’s only fair when something like this comes along we give you a big high five and say thanks!
http://twitter.com/kyarourin Carolyn

My Android phone is apparently not good enough for this app, which I was only informed of after the app downloaded. Sigh. Not compatible with LG Optimus One, for those who are curious.
- claudio_hs
  
  Also did not work on my Xperia Mini Pro (sk17i)
  “Sorry, you’ll ned to browse to Xbox.com for great Xbox LIVE experiences. This app won’t work well enough on this device.”
  
  I noticed that you can not move the app to the SD card, and it has 17MB Oo
- Shawn Partner
  
  Nor on the Optimus V. Must be built for ICS. Good to see there is finally an official app, though.
  - Alex_Atkin_UK
    
    Nope doesn’t need ICS, works fine on Optimus 3D.
    - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=661937737 Chris Church
      
      HTC Wildfire is not compatible. Play seems to suggest that my HTC Flyer is compatible but since I can just use the normal xbox website on that I see little point!
      - http://twitter.com/MyNameIsJonnyD Jonny Dowe
        
        The reason for this is that the HTC Wildfire has a mediocre screen. Most apps are not available on it. I used to have one and it was useless, now upgraded to HTC One S and it’s great
- Mike Evans
  
  same
- http://twitter.com/Hotaru99 Hotaru Tomoe
  
  The app store comments seem to indicate it doesn’t work on any tablet at all. Just tried it on my ICS Acer a100 and no go.
- http://twitter.com/karlcramer Karl Cramer
  
  Google “android fragmentation”
- http://www.facebook.com/bluais Matthew Angeloff
  
  doesn’t work for samsung i5500.
- http://www.facebook.com/Sbaker1689 Seth Baker
  
  Also doesn’t work with the Sony Tablet S.
f0urg

Glad to see this app still getting attention. Would really like to see a way to easily monitor friends activity, perhaps simple notifications for when a selected friend signs on or starts playing a certain game. I see the ability to set beacons for a game or app, but that’s it.
http://www.facebook.com/Knu2Lav Knut Olav Gleditsch

DL’ing now Still…can’t wait to get a Windows 8 tablet
http://twitter.com/DoomerBr Doomer

Don’t works on Acer iconia A500 and samsung galaxy Ace ( GT S5830B )
DarkNightRJ

Been waiting for this. It’s a great app, very smooth and fast. (I’m on Droid X for anyone that might be interested)

Couple of things that could be improved though, I don’t see an option to add friends. If I’m out somewhere and I have someones gamertag its easiest just to add them right there. Also when looking at achievements and detail of a specific achievement, it would be nice to be able to swipe left/right to go to next/previous achievement.
- DarkNightRJ
  
  I think I figured out how to add friends, just gotta press the search button when on the friends page.
http://twitter.com/efjay01 Ef Jay

No updates to the version on Microsoft’s own mobile platform since September 2011. And they wonder why they only have 2% marketshare. Pathetic.
- Gorki247
  
  The WP app already does everything these ones do, so I imagine the next step is probably Smartglass. Also, we’re just few days from Windows Phone 8 announcement, so there may be more news to come.
http://twitter.com/efjay01 Ef Jay

Yet no update to the version on their own mobile OS since September 2011. And they wonder why they only have 2% marketshare. Pathetic.
- http://twitter.com/NickJAmbrose Nicholas J. Ambrose
  
  You realise almost all of that stuff is currently part of the WP7 experience, right? It just involves swiping in different directions and clicking buttons in the Games tile. The only things missing are beacons and extra video control – and I can’t for the life of me figure out why you’d want to control video through your phone, given that if you’ve actually used the Xbox Companion app you’ll be aware that there’s a significant delay between giving an instruction and the Xbox completing it.
- http://twitter.com/karlcramer Karl Cramer
  
  Despite them saying they are seeking exclusives for Windows Phone, we’ve seen very little of that. Even from Microsoft themselves.
http://twitter.com/Racer1309 Larry Castro

Don’t get me wrong on this but it defeats the purpose of exclusivity on WP7 as an extension of the Microsoft/Xbox product line. This is like drilling the hole in your boat out in the middle of the lake. Why swim? When you can just sink.
- TechInsane
  
  MSFT, want the android and apple love so badly they care not about us wp7 people. Just another sad episode in a series of events. Soon Xbox will be comparable with the Wii and playstation
  - http://twitter.com/wizll wizll
    
    kind of like how microsoft has office for macs? come on, wp will be fine on its own. everything announced here is already available on wp7. in the end, microsoft, at its core is a software company, and in this sense they also want to be the defacto home enterntainment machine.
    - TechInsane
      
      Wp7, market share is a joke and now even a bigger joke. Why so serious, should be their new slogan. So no one takes them seriously.
- Adinnieken
  
  You get more flies with honey than with vinegar. Maybe the intention here is to make the Xbox 360 and Xbox LIVE more useful to a wider audience so that they sell more consoles and subs.
  
  You’re thinking about this from the perspective of the console owner. Sure, if they have to decide on a smartphone or tablet Microsoft wants people to pick a Microsoft based product, but if a person already has a phone or tablet and they want to pick the best console that’ll take advantage of their item they already own then who fits that bill better? Nintendo, Sony, or Microsoft?
  The answer is obviously Microsoft.
  It doesn’t mean you won’t get the best experience with a Windows-based device, just that you won’t necessarily be left out in the cold if you don’t.
- DarkNightRJ
  
  This just does what the website does pretty much. On WP7 you can actually play games on xbox live.
- http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=813545018 David Williams
  
  Xbox is a far bigger part of Microsoft’s business than Windows Phone is.
  
  It’s clear that even in Smart Glass, the phone/tablet is nothing but a glorified controller, it’s all about the experience provided by the Xbox 360 Console.
http://twitter.com/Racer1309 Larry Castro

This helps to promote the self-defeating nature of Microsft by voiding the exclusivity of their own product on the WP7. Why swim when you can sink.
appel1

Android app looks great. Wish it followed the Android design guidelines and had c2dm based notifications. But it’s a good first step.
http://kevinmurphy.wordpress.com murph

Free idea: let us use our smartphones as the keyboard. So long chatpad! Add this to this app or SmartGlass. Pleeeeeeeeeze!
- Alex_Atkin_UK
  
  Seeing as that functionality was specifically mentioned for SmartGlass, I’m not sure what you are trying to say here.
  
  Personally I felt the “SmartGlass finally makes it practical to use a web browser on the Xbox” was pure marketing BS. Typing on the chatpad is FAR easier than typing on my phone, and moving a cursor using an analog stick is no big deal.
  
  Its far more awkward to put down the pad, pickup my phone, then find the battery is empty when I leave the house because I wasted it all on operating my Xbox. So I REALLY hope I can also just use the chatpad, as its so much easier.
  
  In reality we are getting the web browser now purely to give the illusion that they have added something worthwhile to the Xbox this year, when really we are well overdue a new console.
- Jordan Mcdonald
  
  I’m trying to post a comment but they keep disapearing…. wtf?!
  - Jordan Mcdonald
    
    yer thatd be right….
http://www.facebook.com/tomtomsmash Tom Smith

Tell them to unlock the android tablet support in the manifest PLZKTHXBYE
Rex Haggard II

The control integration works great on the iPod touch. I suspect this will be the most used app on my touch.
http://www.nathanurbina.com/ Nate

Woohoo for Android! lol
http://twitter.com/Wulf684 Jens Kunst

Why even let me download this app on my Asus Transformer?? The only thing I see on start-up is a message the app is not compatible. This sucks, Microsoft.
http://www.facebook.com/Djshep David Shepherd

Will the control functions eventually come to android? Sounds like a really nice feature but I’m not giving Apple money to use it!
- Maestro25
  
  Yeah, the Android app is okay but it could be much better. It needs a homepage widget so you can see your friends at a glance.
ElektroDragon

I hope this doesn’t mean they’re giving up on WP7 as a platform like they did with Zune. I love my WP7 and Zune. But people are sheep.
- http://twitter.com/Ganon255 Ganon255
  
  I love my WP7. The support for it is like trying to find RC Cola, when every place only carries Pepsi and Coke.
  - StormRaging
    
    MMMMM RC Cola
  - dustin james
    
    every circle k ive been to carries RC……. lol
- http://twitter.com/NickJAmbrose Nicholas J. Ambrose
  
  I imagine they’re just trying to tap into the market outside of the WP audience. Most of these features are already present on Windows Phone and have been for months, with the exception of beacons and added video control support. I also read somewhere that targetting the Android program allows Microsoft to complete app testing more easily as the certification process is less rigid than publishing to Windows Phone.
John Durning

“Is this device connected to the Internet? This app won’t work without it.”

What kind of BS is this, ofcourse it’s connected to the internet… A second ago, I just downloaded the app, through the internet I thought?!?!?! Does this app have a redonkulous requirement that you must be on WiFi? I have unlimited data and don’t have a WiFi here at the office but I have a nice 4G signal. You don’t need WiFi for internet.
- John Durning
  
  Oh wait… Saw someone else (in android mkt review) having trouble with 4G, and for them it worked when switching to 3G. Same for me… That’s still pretty stupid, I’d like it to work when on 4G, tyvm.
Shawn Partner

Thanks for putting this out. Unfortunately it won’t work on my phone, but thanks for getting to Android users as well!
ryan holden

Can we get a way to view and buy stuff from the marketplace using the app? That’d be great!!
http://twitter.com/bradbonkoski Brad Bonkoski

How about an open API for developers to create even more exciting content on this platform?
DJ Mantis

Does anyone know if your Xbox has to be connected to WI-FI to control video with the iOS app?
- http://twitter.com/Aeyoun Daniel Aleksandersen
  
  The console must be connected to the internet (wired or wireless) and be linked with an Xbox LIVE account.
Jay Towie

This is a definite improvement, now if only MS would stop churning out the same damn games and give us some new IP, original content for the damn Xbox!

I’m sooooo bored of Forza, Fable, Halo, Gears blah blah, PS3 is looking real good right now and has owned 360 since 2011
narmez

and what the advantages windows phone well get if you are going to release a great feature on windows phone to android and ios users you need to put windows phone first and not the opposite its your company OS what next releasing office to ios and android >:|

tell that to Microsoft
Mike Evans

Does not work on Samsung Ace android 2.3.3
http://www.facebook.com/willy.lazari Willy Lazari

=)
http://www.facebook.com/willy.lazari Willy Lazari

iPad app not available for download in my region (Brazil). =/
http://twitter.com/Thewolf102 Isaac

will this work with kindle fire?
- http://twitter.com/karlcramer Karl Cramer
  
  No. No tablet support.
StormRaging

Why can’t I control my Xbox with my iPad
http://twitter.com/FilipeCostaCom FilipeCosta.com

But why isn’t the Xbox Companion App for Windows Phone available in other countries like Portugal? Now i can have the app on Windows 8, Android, iOS but not on Windows Phone? This don’t make many sense, and i have asked for Microsoft and Xbox to publish the app repeatedly!!

Please publish the app on the Portuguese marketplace!! Its just a simple check on a box
logicslayer

I will try to side-load this on my Lenovo K1 later.
http://twitter.com/Acidic_Snow Amar

I hope this has fixed the crash when clicking on messaging on iOS
http://twitter.com/sqlrob Rob

Can you link multiple devices to the same 360?
SRijo81

It would be nice if it worked on my device prior to letting me download it… Thank the development team for us…
Dustin

The Google Play site says “This app is compatible with your Archos A70S”, but once I install it, it says that it can’t run on this device.
http://twitter.com/itswiz Wiz

I’m pretty bummed about this. This is one of the reasons I got a windows phone.
Racy

Cool cant wait till SmartGlass
http://twitter.com/ShonkUK Shonk

Works fine on my Galaxy Note ICS that’s 1280×800
Works fine on my boy’s ZTE blade

When are we getting
Xbox Control Major on android
http://www.facebook.com/hayden.morris.399 Hayden Morris

You all complain when they make this stuff available on other devices and you complain when they make it wp7 exclusive….they just cant please you people can they.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=661937737 Chris Church

Seemed so hopeful but apparently this isn’t compatible with my phone. So much for that then. Why is this app not compatible when I can use the internet to access and do more on the live webpages that this app probably does!? Makes no sense!
Jordan Mcdonald

No tablet love?
Oh and my comment from earlier seems to have been removed…
So I’m just going to assume its ahuge conpiracy and they’re all watching us, cencoring us controlling our destiny whaaaaa!
- Jordan Mcdonald
  
  ok wtf, how can i have two dislikes and minus one like? isnt that just 3 dislikes? i give up…
http://www.facebook.com/TiggrrrAdams Jonno Trogan Firefly Adams

does not work on samsung galaxy tab 2.2 FW sucks would be great if i found out after i downloaded it
Jordan Mcdonald

my posts are not showing up…. or being deleted?
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=755123750 David Marshall

New app broken using iOS 6.
- http://twitter.com/Aeyoun Daniel Aleksandersen
  
  The application crashes on start-up (on the now allegedly “more stable” sign-in screen) when using iOS 6 developer preview. With no existing user profile on the device (clean installation). Any chance we’ll see a fix to this soon?
http://www.consouls.com Slim

Please put it in more AppStores! I’m using the Israeli AppStore for example and would love to download the app (been waiting for a long time now) and still it’s not available, please let everyone use it and not only the US AppStore users, thanks.
http://www.facebook.com/zbigniew.borowski Zbigniew ‘Keymaker’ Borowski

The iPad app is uber cool.

June 13th 2012 11:54 am PT

Enhanced “My Xbox LIVE” apps for iOS and Android available today

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