Google could offer Play Movies for free to users but with advertisements

A new report suggests Google may soon launch a free-with-ads scheme for movies via Play Movies.

Google Play Movies has a wide catalogue of movies across genres. (REUTERS)

Google is reportedly planning to make its Play Movies free for all users.

According to an APK teardown by XDA Developers, Google will make the titles available for free but with the advertisements. The teardown points to "hundreds of movies, just a few ads". The website, however, warns that the update may not materialize and could be pulled by the developers in the next builds.

Google Play Movies has a wide catalogue of movies across genres. Unlike streaming apps like Netflix, there's no monthly subscription to watch all the content. Instead, the platform offers each titles individually. Users can either buy or rent the movies from the platform.

The update comes at a time when millions of users around the world are staying indoors due to the Covid-19 lockdown. Streaming apps are seeing a huge surge in usage. In some markets including India, streaming apps had to lower the streaming quality to ensure a seamless experience.

Google on Wednesday announced it was reducing video quality on YouTube around the world for a month.

"We continue to work closely with governments and network operators around the globe to do our part to minimize stress on the system during this unprecedented situation," Google said in a statement.