This Week's Sponsor:

Kolide

Ensure that if a device isn’t secure it can’t access your apps.  It’s Device Trust for Okta.


iShows Adds ‘Watch Now’ Feature to Stream Episodes in Other Video Apps

A few days ago, I asked on Twitter for a TV show tracker that could sync with Trakt.tv and show where each episode could be legally streamed. I’ve been using Trakt.tv to organize my TV show library and keep track of new episodes for a couple of years now, but I couldn’t find a Trakt-compatible app that also supported showing streaming sources for episodes – like Apple’s TV app does, for instance. In the few weeks I spent using the TV app, I thought that was one of its best options.

Today, iShows – a longtime MacStories favorite – has added this feature, which is called Watch Now. After selecting the country you want to use for streaming (useful, for instance, if you live in Europe but use a VPN for American streaming services like HBO Now), iShows will display where each episode can be streamed or, alternatively, purchased or rented.

I tested Watch Now with the dozen of TV shows I’m tracking in iShows/Trakt, and it works as advertised; with one tap, iShows will open the link for an episode’s streaming source, which thanks to Universal Links on iOS will deep-link directly into the associated video app (if installed). It couldn’t be easier, and I appreciate that I don’t have to look up each show’s information on the web to learn where it can be streamed.

While there are a number of great Trakt-compatible apps at this point (some favorites of mine include Couchy and Television Time), iShows has regained a spot on my devices because of the addition of Watch Now.

You can get iShows 2.9 from the App Store.

Unlock More with Club MacStories

Founded in 2015, Club MacStories has delivered exclusive content every week for over six years.

In that time, members have enjoyed nearly 400 weekly and monthly newsletters packed with more of your favorite MacStories writing as well as Club-only podcasts, eBooks, discounts on apps, icons, and services. Join today, and you’ll get everything new that we publish every week, plus access to our entire archive of back issues and downloadable perks.

The Club expanded in 2021 with Club MacStories+ and Club Premier. Club MacStories+ members enjoy even more exclusive stories, a vibrant Discord community, a rotating roster of app discounts, and more. And, with Club Premier, you get everything we offer at every Club level plus an extended, ad-free version of our podcast AppStories that is delivered early each week in high-bitrate audio.

Choose the Club plan that’s right for you:

  • Club MacStories: Weekly and monthly newsletters via email and the web that are brimming with app collections, tips, automation workflows, longform writing, a Club-only podcast, periodic giveaways, and more;
  • Club MacStories+: Everything that Club MacStories offers, plus exclusive content like Federico’s Automation Academy and John’s Macintosh Desktop Experience, a powerful web app for searching and exploring over 6 years of content and creating custom RSS feeds of Club content, an active Discord community, and a rotating collection of discounts, and more;
  • Club Premier: Everything in from our other plans and AppStories+, an extended version of our flagship podcast that’s delivered early, ad-free, and in high-bitrate audio.