Apple TV+ FAQ: Price, supported devices, and more

On November 1, 2019, Apple joined the ranks of Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+ with its own exclusive streaming service. Apple TV has a wide assortment of shows and many more are in development, funded by Apple’s massive cash pile.

Below you’ll find a compendium of everything we know about Apple’s streaming platform.

Updated October 17, 2025: Apple has officially changed the name from Apple TV+ to Apple TV only.

How to access Apple TV?

You can sign up and watch Apple TV content through the TV app, available on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and Mac. It’s also available on many gaming consoles, smart TVs, Roku devices, and Fire TVs. You can also watch Apple TV on a browser at tv.apple.com.

The TV app experience varies from device to device, however. On a Roku, smart TV, gaming console, or in a browser, you’ll only see Apple’s own content. This includes Apple TV content as well as Apple TV channels and any movies or TV shows you purchased through iTunes or the TV app.

On iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV hardware, you’ll also see shows from other streaming services like Hulu, Paramount Plus, HBO, or Amazon Prime. The TV app aggregates content from supported third-party apps running on the device. Unfortunately, Netflix does not support this feature.

Can I watch Apple TV shows on non-Apple devices?

Yes! You can watch Apple TV through the TV app, 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 device from Samsung, LG, Sony, or Vizio, you should also be able to use AirPlay 2 to stream content directly from your iPhone or iPad to the device.

You can also watch on the web using Safari, Chrome or Firefox by going to tv.apple.com. See: AirPlay-enabled TVs with built-in Apple TV: Guide.

How much does Apple TV cost?

Apple has increased the price of the Apple TV several times since its original price of just $4.99 per month. It currently costs $12.99/£9.99 per month. There aren’t multiple “tiers” 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, essentially giving you two months free every year. Alternatively, you can cancel at any time and only pay for a month when you want to watch a particular show.

Apple TV is also included in all three tiers of the Apple One service plan, which ranges from $19.95/£18.95 per month to $37.95/£36.95 per month.

Does Apple TV have a free trial?

Yes, but it only lasts seven days, but there are ways to get a longer trial. Read: How to get Apple TV for free.

The United Kingdom and South Africa are exceptions: Apple does not offer any free trials there.

Is anything on Apple TV free?

Some people are understandably confused when they have paid for an Apple TV subscription or purchased an Apple TV set-top box, they find that only Apple original shows are included in their subscription. Apple showing shows from other services and allowing other shows and movies to be rented and purchased probably doesn’t help this confusion.

There is, however, content you can watch for free even without an Apple TV subscription. You can watch the first episodes of many shows, which might at least tell you whether or not you should subscribe to finish the season. Sometimes Apple offers shows for free, such as certain episodes of Charlie Brown and certain movies.

Read: What’s free on Apple TV?

Do Apple TV shows contain 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 disabled.

What shows and movies are available now?

Subscribing to Apple TV gives you access to a library of exclusive content, rather than a huge catalog of TV shows or movies, so there isn’t as much available as on some other services. That said, over the years, the content has been enriched.

We maintain a detailed list of all Apple TV content currently available.

Isn’t it called Apple TV+?

In mid-October 2025, Apple quietly removed the “+” from all mentions of the service, and even the app icon. It’s now simply called Apple TV, which is more in line with what most people seemed to call it anyway, but adds even more confusion between the service and the Apple TV hardware.

What shows and movies are coming in the future?

Apple has nothing but deep pockets and a desire to win. The company has spent a small fortune acquiring exclusive shows and movies from other production companies and even created its own (Apple Studios) to produce its own.

It’s safe to say there’s a lot coming, but the pace of new releases pales in comparison to competitors like Netflix.

We maintain a list of all upcoming shows, series and movies on 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 scheduled to release one episode per week. Second and subsequent seasons may begin at a rate of just one per week, and some limited series (especially documentary series) make all episodes available at once.

New releases on Apple TV usually happen on Fridays at midnight (so you can watch the latest episode of Ted Lasso to 9 p.m. Thursday evening Pacific Time).

Can I download shows to watch offline?

Yes, with a few caveats. Apple appears to impose no limits on downloads of the same content on iPhones, iPads and Macs belonging to the same account. For example, we downloaded the same episode of Servant on these three devices via the TV application without problem.

But that’s where freedom ends. Apple doesn’t let you download Apple TV content to Apple TV, other streaming devices, smart TVs, or when watching shows on a browser.

Shows you download to your iPhone, iPad, or Mac will be available for 30 days, after which your devices will automatically delete them. You can also delete them manually through the TV app.

Does Apple TV allow simultaneous streaming?

Apple TV allows for six simultaneous streams at once, which is more than you’ll get from any other on-demand streaming service on the market. Multiple family members with Family Sharing can all stream their own content at the same time.

How can I change the streaming quality so as not to burn my data?

A single episode of an Apple TV show like See can use more than 2 GB of your mobile data. You can prevent Apple’s service from hogging so much data on your iPhone or iPad by going to Settings > TV. You’ll see options for whether or not to use cellular data, you’ll be able to toggle between automatic and high-quality streaming, and you’ll be able to change the quality of downloads over cellular.

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 monitoring history and recommendations: it’s like they have 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 that would be good. According to Rasmus Larsen of FlatplanelsHD, Apple TV offers the best 4K streaming quality of any service on the market. In fact, it’s so good that 4K bitrates are better than what you’ll see in some iTunes movies.

When Larsen wrote his article 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 space averaging 13 Mbps, which is impressive for a cartoon. In comparison, Netflix’s 4K speeds tend to peak at around 16 Mbps.