The short-form video streaming app Quibi will be getting casting capabilities for iOS this week with Android following in the coming weeks, according to developer Jeffrey Katzenberg. Previously, Quibi was designed to only play on mobile devices for when you need a few minutes of on-the-go entertainment, but the company is backpedaling on its original concept and making the option to cast to a big screen a reality.
Quibi has seen disappointing results right out of the gate when it launched on April 6 with a mere 1.7 million app downloads in the first week. Now, more than a month later, it only has about 3.5 million according to Quibi, with only 1.3 of those downloads active users.
One of the most common complaints from users is that the content can only be viewed on mobile devices. In a normal world, people might be watching more on their phones as they go about their busy, day-to-day activities. But in the wake of a global pandemic where people are under stay-at-home orders and off work, viewers are watching entertainment on big screens from their couch rather than mobile devices on their way out the door or in line at the store.
“My hope, my belief was that there would still be many in-between moments while sheltering in place,” Mr. Katzenberg said. “There are still those moments, but it’s not the same. It’s out of sync.”
Quibi is also working on enabling sharing capabilities on social media platforms. Right now, that feature is blocked as well as screenshotting. With no sharing options and no screenshots, the only way users could share what they’re watching was by recording their phone with another phone, which sounds awkward and cumbersome at best. Usually, a big part of sharing a video experience comes with screenshots and scenes turned into memes that spread across social networks like Instagram and TikTok, but Quibi shows haven’t been getting any exposure that way.
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