Everything you need to know about Apple TV’s new streaming service – including how to watch it on your TV.
Just when you thought you’d subscribed to all the best streamers, along came Apple TV+ with its slate of original, award-nominated content for you to dive into.
Since arriving in 2019, the platform has pushed out some of the most-talked about shows, from Emmy-nominated Ted Lasso and musical comedy Schmigadoon, to Tom Hanks film Greyhound and the Russo brothers’ Cherry starring Tom Holland.
If you’re wondering which titles you’ll be able to find on Apple TV+, which devices you can get it on and how much it costs, then you’ve come to the right place.
Read on for everything you need to know about the relatively new streamer.
When did Apple TV+ launch?
Apple TV+, one of the newer streaming services, launched in over 100 countries on 1st November 2019.
How much does Apple TV+ cost?
An Apple TV+ subscription costs £4.99 a month in the UK and $4.99 a month in the US – however, if you buy an Apple product, you are eligible for a three-month free trial if you redeem it within 90 days.
Otherwise, you can try out Apple TV+ for seven days free before paying the subscription fee, or get one-month free when you buy an Apple One bundle.
If you want to watch Apple TV+ and don’t currently have a compatible device or TV, you can buy the Apple TV HD box for £149 (see below for further details).
How can I get the Apple TV+ app on my television and devices?
You watch Apple TV+ via the Apple TV app – which means you can watch it on a range of Apple devices but also on compatible TVs and streaming sticks.
If you have an iPhone, iPad or Mac, you’ll have the Apple TV app pre-loaded.
If you own a Smart TV from providers such as Samsung, LG, Sony or Vizio, you can also download the Apple TV app to them and watch on your television. To check if your television is supported, go to the apps section on your TV and look for the Apple TV app.
If you want to watch Apple TV+ through your TV but it doesn’t support the app, you can either buy a streaming stick such as Roku or Amazon’s Fire TV Stick, which plug into your TV or buy the Apple TV HD box for £149.00.
The app is also now available on PlayStation and Xbox after many had been asking for it to be added there since it originally launched.
Subscribers to Apple TV+ can watch Apple original shows both online and offline.
How to get Apple TV+ app on your Samsung TV
It is worth noting here that not all Samsung TVs will be able to support Apple TV+ and if you have an older model, there is a strong chance you will be out of luck. But here are the steps to follow if you want to install it and check whether your TV has it.
- Find where the Samsung app store is on your TV. If you search it and it does not appear, then, sadly, your TV is not compatible with it and you will need to either access it via a console or a fire stick.
- Select Apple TV+ and install it.
- Open it up and choose to start watching.
- The easiest way to sign up is to do it via a web browser, but you can put all your information in here and take advantage of the 7-day free trial.
- If you are signing up through the app, you will be able to start watching once that is done. Alternatively, if you have signed up beforehand, you will see quick sign-in options that will allow you to connect with a numerical code or QR code with an apple device.
What Apple TV+ shows and movies are there?
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The first wave of programming available on the service when it launched showed that Apple TV was going to be a contender when it comes to original programming with some huge names attached to several of their projects.
From The Morning Show starring Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Anniston and Steve Carrell, to Ted Lasso starring Jason Sudeikis, there are a number of big shows on Apple TV+, with the streamer’s collection only growing.
Dickinson starring Hailee Steinfeld is now in its second series, while Physical with Rose Byrne, Mythic Quest and Schmigadoon are all relatively new shows on the platform.
Other projects that the streamer now has include:
- Home Before Dark, a mystery-drama
- Psychological thriller Defending Jacob
- Mythic Quest, a workplace comedy
- Animated comedy Central Park
- Prince Harry and Oprah’s mental health docuseries The Me You Can’t See
- Trying, starring Rafe Spall and Esther Smith
- See, starring Jason Momoa
- Long Way Up, a docuseries hosted by Ewan McGregor
- Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry, docuseries
- Cherry, a film starring Tom Holland
- Justin Timberlake’s Palmer
- On the Rocks, comedy-drama directed by Sofia Coppola
- Tom Hanks drama Greyhound
- The Helpsters, a spin-off from Sesame Street
- A cartoon titled Snoopy in Space
- A children’s programme titled Ghostwriter
- The Elephant Queen, a documentary about the mother of a hero
- Servant, a thriller from the Sixth Sense director M N Shyamala
- Mystery-drama Truth Be Told
- Little America by married writers Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon
- The Banker, a film based on a true story by Samuel L. Jackson
- Hala, a film produced by Jada Pinkett Smith
- Little Voice, a series from Star Wars director JJ Abrams and singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles.
- A revived Steven Spielberg anthology series called Amazing Stories.
Other projects in the pipeline are:
- Dolly, a courtroom drama with the twist of having Florence Pugh signed up to play a robot
- Foundation, a sci-fi series starring Jared Harris
- Invasion, a sci-fi series about an alien invasion
- The Shrink Next Door, a dark comedy starring Paul Rudd and Will Ferrell as a charismatic therapist and his patient
- Mr Corman, comedy-drama starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a teacher
- Luck, animated comedy starring Jane Fonda and Whoopi Goldberg
- Ben Stiller thriller Severance, starring Adam Scott and Patricia Arquette
- Period drama The Essex Serpent
- In with the Devil, drama starring Taron Egerton
- The Afterparty, comedy starring Tiffany Haddish, Sam Richardson and Ben Schwartz
What channels can I watch on Apple TV+?
As well as its own original series, the Apple TV app gives you access to UK streaming services including BBC iPlayer, All 4 and ITV Hub, plus a dedicated kids’ section and, according to Apple, “thousands of films, including the latest blockbusters from iTunes. Now you can buy, rent and watch, all from inside the app”.
Apple has also partnered with networks including HBO, Showtime and Starz, aiming to act as a gateway to their content via a new service known as Apple TV Channels, which appears to be a similar service to that already offered by Amazon as part of its Amazon Channels programme.
Netflix, however, has already confirmed that it will not participate in this ‘bundle’ offer: chief executive Reed Hastings said in March that Netflix “has chosen not to integrate with [Apple’s] service.”
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