What is the Sky Q app?

Charlotte Whyatt • 10 Jan 2017 Guides

The accompanying app to Sky's TV service offers fluid viewing and a convenient place within which to catch all your favourite content.  

Edit: Please note that Sky has now shut down the Sky Q app. You can find the same functionality within the Sky Go app which is free to all Sky TV customers.

The Sky Go app, which is available on a range of devices including smartphones, tablets and laptops, allows you to stream live TV and your recordings anywhere you like.

Available on both iOS and Android, the Sky Q app is a way for you to enjoy much of your favourite content whilst away from the home and your main Sky Q set-up.

Registering the Sky Q app

To use the Sky Q app you must first register it on a device by simply downloading the app from either the App or Google Play store and signing in with your Sky iD.

Although you can register up to four devices they sadly can't all be used simultaneously, even if you're in the home and hooked up to wi-fi.

Instead, if you've got a 1TB Sky Q box you'll be able to use one at a time or if you're a 2TB Sky Q customer you'll be able to use two at a time.

Sky's alternative streaming service Sky Go, which also allows you to enjoy live TV and on-demand content but only with mobile data or a reliable internet connection unless you upgrade to Sky Go Extra for a fee, can still be used alongside the Sky Q app if you're not ready to change over just yet.

Using the Sky Q app

A huge selling point of Sky Q is the promise of fluid viewing, being able to start watching TV on one device and pick it straight back up on another, both inside and outside the home which can easily be done with the Sky Q app.

Live TV doesn't work as part of Sky Q's fluid viewing so you'll need to use your main Sky Q box to record anything you might want to continue watching elsewhere. It's possible to start recording content at any time, and it'll begin from the exact moment you pressed the record button, so you don't have to worry about pre-planning.
  
Once that's been done, you'll find the partially viewed content under the My Q section of the app ready to be consumed wherever you like. If you're planning to watch your recording on the go, just remember to use Q Sync which will download it to your device over your home wi-fi network.

When you're away from home, you're still able to set a program to record through the Sky Q app (no matter whether or not you're on wi-fi) so you never have to miss your favourite show ever again.

What can I watch?

Through the Sky Q app you're able to stream live TV and can watch any channel that you're normally able to receive as part of your Sky TV package, download and watch anything that you've previously recorded off the TV and again, depending on what you've access to (not every box set is available with every Sky TV package for example) download and watch content from Sky's extensive on-demand library.
 
In order to be able to watch content away from home with the Sky Q app you must have a Sky Q Multiroom subscription and you're only able to stream live TV on the app if you're on the same wi-fi network as your main Sky Q box.

But you're able to watch any recordings or on-demand content whilst offline providing you download them to your device over your home wi-fi network first with Q sync.

Unfortunately, issues with licensing mean that you're unable to watch certain content through the Sky Q app even if it's been downloaded for offline viewing first. If you want to enjoy something from the BBC for example, you'll be forced to either separately download the iPlayer app or to just wait until you get home.

Live Premier League Football is also unable to be streamed, even if you're working on a broadband connection, and you can't access catch-up services like BBC iPlayer, 4OD or ITV Player through the Sky Q app, you'll have to download and enjoy them separately.