TV Time, a popular TV and movie tracking and recommendations app with more than 30 million registered users, disappeared from Apple’s App Store for several weeks, leading to questions about its future from the app’s avid fan base. Considering that 2.5 million users use the app every month to track what they’re watching and to engage in a social network where they can comment on individual episodes, vote for favorite characters, post images and GIFs, and connect with other users, its disappearance didn’t go unnoticed.
On November 1, the company announced via a post on X that it was aware the app had been removed from the App Store and that it was “working with Apple to get it back ASAP.” It offered no other details as to what may have caused the app to be pulled or how soon it could return. Users continually reply to that post in hopes of an update, but unfortunately for TV Time fans, several weeks passed without a resolution.
After TechCrunch reached out to TV Time and Apple about the app’s removal, the app was reinstated on the App Store.
TV Time has long been operated by entertainment analytics platform Whip Media Group following its acquisition in 2016 of the French startup, formerly known as TVShow Time. Similar to other services like Reelgood or JustWatch, the app can direct users to where a show or movie can be streamed and can suggest other series you might like, based on your viewing activity.
During the time of its removal, existing iOS users were still able to access the app on their devices, but anyone trying to install TV Time on a new iPhone or iPad would have been out of luck. In addition, the App Store removal meant TV Time was no longer able to issue updates to its app to its current user base.
TechCrunch reached out to the company to find out why the app was pulled.
According to Whip Media Chief Marketing Officer Jerry Inman, the dispute with Apple had to do with the mishandling of a routine intellectual property (IP) complaint. TV Time users had uploaded some TV and film cover art to the app, leading a company to claim copyrights over the app and issue a takedown notice via the Digital Millenni …