Apple Single Sign-on for iOS and tvOS Released With Support for 9 Partners

At its WWDC 2016 keynote earlier this year, Apple introduced its new single sign-on option for iOS (iPhone, iPad, iPod touch) and tvOS (Apple TV), which allows TV Everywhere customers to authenticate all video channels from their pay TV providers and watch all of their network TV apps by simply signing in once. Now, the Cupertino-based company released the feature in the US.

Even though Apple's sign-on feature is useful, it currently supports only handful of cable and satellite providers. The rollout was reported by MacRumors, and Apple has updated its support site to detail how to use the single sign-on feature and the supported providers. Here is the list of providers currently supporting this feature:

• CenturyLink Prism
• DirecTV
• Dish
• GTA
• GVTC
• Hawaiian Telcom
• Hotwire
• MetroCast
• Sling TV

The list of providers misses out on names such as Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Optimum, and Verizon, as pointed out by a report from The Verge. Apple has clarified that even if your provider supports the feature, there might still be apps that will require users to sign in individually. The company further says that the supported apps might differ between iOS and tvOS. Here is the list of apps that are supported by the feature currently:

• A&E (iOS only)
• Bravo Now (tvOS only)
• E! Now (tvOS only)
• Hallmark Channel Everywhere (iOS and tvOS)
• History (iOS only)
• Lifetime (iOS only)
• NBC (tvOS only)
• Syfy Now (tvOS only)
• Telemundo Now (tvOS only)
• USA NOW (tvOS only)
• Watch HGTV (iOS and tvOS)
• Watch Food Network (iOS and tvOS)
• Watch Cooking Channel (iOS and tvOS)
• Watch DIY (iOS and tvOS)
• Watch Travel Channel (iOS and tvOS)

This list also excludes some of the important apps such as ABC, CBS, Disney, WatchESPN, and HBO Go, the report points out. Even though Apple announced the feature months ago, it seems surprising that the company was not able to bring major cable providers as well as app on-board for its feature. We will have to wait and see if things now change after the complete rollout of the single sign-on feature.