Signing in on a new device

[RoyB]

I’ve just set up a new Roku Express4K on our bedroom TV, so naturally I have to sign in to each of my apps the first time I use them.

In the old days, you had to type your Id and password into an onscreen form, but nowadays, if you have your account details on your phone or tablet, you can just scan the QR code with your phone, it takes you into the corresponding app on the phone, you input a code shown on the TV screen into the app, and bingo, you are signed in on the app on the new device and ready to go.

Spotify, All4, Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, Netflix, Now - all have such a QR code approach, except for Auntie BBC, who make you type in the URL instead, but at least it’s typing on a device designed for typing.

Except that Now seem to have it spectacularly wrong. Yes, there’s a QR code, yes it opens Now on your phone or tablet - but only for new customers signing up for a trial.

There’s nothing for existing members to get you in easily, like on Netflix, etc, and you have to go back to the stone-age onscreen keyboard on the TV, and hunt and peck your way in, up, down, sideways, back, oops try again, up, down, sideways, back, and so on until you get it right.

Nothing I could find anyway. Have I missed something, or has Now squandered its QR smarts on getting new customers in, with nothing for existing ones? 😥

[gavs82008]

@RoyB 

So launching the app (after a delete and reinstall) on my Amazon Fire stick, can I assume this is the screen your talking about?

If it is, then you just need to hit the OK button as it’s defaulted to “Close”. This will then take you to the standard home screen. It definitely got me almost signing up with a new account! 

 

[RoyB]

@gavs82008 

Yes, that’s the screen. But on the ‘standard Home screen’, I have to use the onscreen keyboard to painstakingly put my details in, don’t I?

Whereas on Prime Video or Netflix, I just have to scan the QR code offered with my tablet or phone, which puts me in the corresponding app on that device, which knows all my security details.

And then I input on the phone or tablet a short security number that appears on the TV screen, and I am logged in on the TV automatically.

Try logging out of one of those apps, and see how easy it is to get back in via the QR code.

And this is something Now knows how to do, because it uses the technique to set up free trials.

But not to assist its allegedly valuable existing customers to access new devices 😢

[gavs82008]

@RoyB 

Yeah I couldn’t agree more with everything you just said. 

What makes it even more frustrating is that Peacock has that very functionality for existing customers to sign in using the app, much like Disney+ and Netflix. So it really does beg the question why is the QR code only set up to take in new customers? 😡

Have to admit the keyboard layout is also not great and no option to show password as I often make mistakes when typing it in.