On November 1, 2019, Apple joined Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+ with its own exclusive streaming service. Apple TV offers a wide selection of shows and many more in the pipeline funded by Apple’s mountainous cash pile.
Below you will find a compendium of everything we know about Apple’s streaming platform.
Updated October 17, 2025: Apple has officially changed the name of Apple TV+ to just Apple TV.
How do I access Apple TV?
You can sign up and watch Apple TV content through the TV app, which is available on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and Mac. It is also available on many game consoles, smart TVs, Roku and Fire TV devices. You can also watch Apple TV in a browser at tv.apple.com.
However, the experience of the TV app varies from device to device. On a Roku, smart TV, game console or in a browser, you will only see Apple’s own content. That includes Apple TV content, as well as Apple TV channels and any movies or TV shows you’ve purchased through iTunes or the TV app.
On iPhone, iPad or Apple TV hardware, you will also see programs from other streaming services such as Hulu, Paramount Plus, HBO or Amazon Prime. The TV app aggregates content from supporting third-party apps running on the device. Unfortunately, Netflix does not support the feature.
Can I watch Apple TV shows on non-Apple devices?
Yes! You can watch Apple TV through the TV app, which is available on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and Mac, as well as many game consoles, smart TVs and other streaming devices. If you have a new set from Samsung, LG, Sony or Vizio, you should also be able to use AirPlay 2 to broadcast content directly from your iPhone or iPad to the set.
You can also watch on the web using Safari, Chrome or Firefox by going to tv.apple.com. See: AirPlay-compatible TVs that have Apple TV built-in: Guide.
How much does Apple TV cost?
Apple has raised the price of Apple TV several times since its starting price of just $4.99 per month. It currently costs $12.99/£9.99 per month. There are no more “layers” of Apple TV subscriptions – you always get the best video and audio quality, family sharing and all the features.
You can renew your subscription for a year for $99/£89, which essentially gives you two months free every year. Alternatively, you can cancel at any time and simply pay for a month when you want to watch a particular programme.
Apple TV is also included in all three tiers of the Apple One service package, which ranges from $19.95/£18.95 per month at $37.95/£36.95 per month.
Does Apple TV have a free trial?
Yes, but it only lasts for seven days, but there are ways to get a longer trial. Read: How to get Apple TV for free.
The UK and South Africa are exceptions – Apple doesn’t offer a free trial there.
Is anything free on Apple TV?
Some people are understandably confused when they’ve paid for an Apple TV subscription or purchased an Apple TV set-top box to find that only original Apple programs are included in their subscription. Apple showing shows from other services and allowing the rental and purchase of other shows and movies probably won’t help this confusion.
However, there is some content you can watch for free even without an Apple TV subscription. You can watch the first episodes of many shows, which can at least tell you whether or not you should subscribe to complete the season. Sometimes Apple makes programs available for free, for example certain Charlie Brown episodes and some movies.
Read: What’s free on Apple TV?
Do Apple TV shows have ads?
No. Although you’ll often see a trailer for another Apple TV show before the one you intend to watch. This is similar to many other streaming services and can be skipped.
What series and movies are available right now?
Subscribing to Apple TV gives you access to a library of exclusive content rather than access to a large back catalog of TV shows or movies, so there’s not as much available as on some other services. That said, the content has increased over the years.
We maintain a detailed list of all content currently available from Apple TV.
Isn’t it called Apple TV+?
In mid-October 2025, Apple quietly removed the “+” from all mentions of the service and even from the app icon. It’s now just called Apple TV, which better fits what most people seemed to call it anyway, but adds even more confusion between the service and the Apple TV hardware.
What series and movies are coming in the future?
Apple has nothing if not deep pockets and a desire to win. The company has spent a small fortune acquiring exclusive shows and movies from other production companies and has even started its own (Apple Studios) to produce its own.
It’s safe to say there’s a lot on the way, but the pace of new releases pales in comparison to competitors like Netflix.
We maintain a list of all the shows, series and movies coming to Apple TV.
Does Apple release episodes once a week or drop entire seasons at once?
Apple’s approach varies. With brand new shows, Apple will often release the first three episodes at once, with the rest of the season coming at a rate of one episode per week. The second season and later may start with only one per week, and some limited series (especially docuseries) make all episodes available at once.
New releases for Apple TV typically happen Friday at midnight (so you can watch the latest episode of Ted Lasso at 9 p.m. Thursday evening, Pacific Time).
Can I download programs for offline viewing?
Yes, with a few caveats. It appears that Apple places no limits on downloads of the same content across iPhones, iPads, and Macs owned by the same account. For example, we downloaded the same episode of Servant on all three of these devices through the TV app without any problems.
But this is where freedom ends. Apple doesn’t allow you to download Apple TV content on Apple TV, nor does it allow it on other streaming devices, smart TVs, or when you’re watching shows in a browser.
Shows you download to your iPhone, iPad, or Mac will be available for 30 days, after which your devices will automatically remove them. You can also manually delete them via the TV app.
Does Apple TV allow simultaneous streaming?
Apple TV allows for six simultaneous streams at once, which is more than you get from any other on-demand streaming service on the market. Multiple family members with Family Sharing can all stream their own content at once.
How do I change the streaming quality so I don’t burn through my data?
A single episode of an Apple TV show like See can use over 2 GB of your mobile data. You can prevent Apple’s service from collecting so much data on your iPhone or iPad by going to Settings > TV. You will see options to use mobile data or not, can switch between automatic and high quality streaming and can change the quality of downloads over mobile.
Can you use Family Sharing with Apple TV?
Yes. A single Apple TV subscription can be shared with up to five additional family members.
Each family member has their own viewing history and recommendations – it’s as if they had their own individual subscription.
Are all Apple TV shows available in 4K?
Yes. Early on, Apple announced that all shows would be available in 4K HDR/Dolby Vision and that “most” shows would have Dolby Atmos audio, but it didn’t just say how good it would be. According to FlatplanelsHD’s Rasmus Larsen, Apple TV offers the best 4K streaming quality of any service on the market. It’s so good, in fact, that the 4K bitrates are better than what you’ll see in some iTunes movies.
When Larsen wrote his post in November 2019, See had the highest bitrate of any Apple TV show, with an average bitrate of 29 Mbps and a peak of 41 Mbps. Snoopy in the room averaged 13 Mbps, which is impressive for a cartoon. Netflix’s 4K bitrates, by comparison, tend to top out at around 16 Mbps.