CBS now lets you watch full episodes of fall shows through its apps 8 days after they air

When CBS launched its iOS app in March, the network said it would make full episodes of “some” primetime shows available 8 days after they aired. But viewers discovered that content was actually pretty limited —  and the app racked up one-star reviews from users who complain that few full episodes are available.

Now CBS, which says the iOS app has been downloaded nearly four million times, claims it is going to fix that. On Friday, the network announced its app is now available for Android and Windows 8, and also said that starting immediately, the app will offer “every episode of CBS’s new and returning primetime entertainment series eight days after broadcast. In addition, the app will offer episodes of many classic CBS shows like Macgyver, Star Trek and Perry Mason.”

Every episode — really? Well, kind of: A  spokeswoman told me that for current shows, “in general we offer the most recent five episodes in the app during the season.” A lot of new and returning CBS primetime shows — The Good Wife and The Mentalist — just premiered last Sunday, so while they are available in full on CBS’s website now, those premieres won’t be on the app until Monday, October 7. Eight days may seem like a long time to wait, but CBS’s new policy does mark a fairly major expansion of full episodes available through the app. And you don’t need a cable subscription to log in.

Also, a note based on a few user reviews I saw in the App Store: No, you cannot watch full episodes of Under the Dome through CBS’s apps or on its website. It is only available for streaming through Amazon Prime Instant Video and for paid download from Amazon Instant Video.