The Xbox Smartglass app has been available on Android for a while, letting users control the Xbox's media functions, such as play, pause, and menu navigation, directly through the app. Today, at Microsoft's E3 press conference, the app is getting a big update, being renamed to just 'Xbox' and with features comparable to the equivalent on Windows 10. With the app, you can use Xbox Live, buy games, or watch game content shared by other users, making it the ultimate companion to the Microsoft-made box sitting near your TV.

WHAT'S NEW

  • Updated home – The Activity Feed is the home of the Xbox app
  • Added Trending content – Find out what's popular on Xbox Live
  • Facebook friend finder – Add your Facebook friends who are also on Xbox
  • Contact list friend finder – Use your phones contact list to add friends to Xbox Live
  • Real name sharing – Be able to share your real name with your friends
  • Game hubs – Game Hubs now added to Xbox app
  • Updated profiles – Redesigned user profiles in Xbox app

The banner features of the update are mostly to do with Xbox Live, Microsoft's online gaming network. The app will now let users see what friends are up to, find out what's trending on the network, find friends using Facebook or contact lists on your phone, the ability to share your real name with friends (rather than a username), updated profile design, and the addition of Game Hubs. The design language of the app looks and feels like a merge of the Windows 10 design and Android's material. It works well though, allowing quick and easy navigation through the menus to see what others are playing or watching. This is the kind of thing Microsoft needs to be doing if it's going to catch up to Sony and the PlayStation 4, along with the new pretty Xbox One S.

This definitely seems like an app you're going to want if you have an Xbox One. It's available to download on the Play Store, or at APK Mirror if you're so inclined.