An Apple TV+ free trial is available to anyone who has never tried the streaming service before. It offers access to exclusive Apple Original TV shows like Ted Lasso, Slow Horses, Shantaram, Bad Sisters and David Attenborough's Prehistoric Planet for free while you make up your mind whether you like the streaming service or not.
After a superb recent run of entertainment launched weekly, we're certainly impressed, and pretty sure you will be too. But how do you get an Apple TV+ free trial? And, more importantly, do you know how to get the longest free trial you can?
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Like most good streaming services, Apple TV+ comes without any kind of long-term commitment. It's a pay-by-month arrangement and the prices are pretty reasonable too.
Apple TV+ usually costs £8.99 / $9.99 / AU$12.99 a month. Good value when you consider that there are new Apple Originals launched each week, on top of feature-length movies, starring the likes of Tom Hanks, Samuel L. Jackson and Jason Momoa. It's all ad-free, all downloadable offline, and much of it is presented in 4K HDR with Dolby Atmos sound.
Before you open your wallet and hand over your email address, though, there are multiple Apple TV Plus free trials available. Why settle for seven days if you're entitled to three months, or even six? Read on for a complete rundown of the best Apple TV Plus free trial options, and how to get each one.
1. Apple TV+ 7-day free trial
Anyone new to Apple TV+ can score a seven-day free trial.
Sign up now and you can watch for free for seven days. After that, you'll be automatically charged the standard subscription fee of £8.99 / $9.99 / AU$12.99 a month.
You're perfectly within your rights to sign up, watch free for seven days, then cancel without paying a penny.
2. Apple TV+ 3-month free trial
You can get three months of Apple TV+ free when you buy a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV or Mac.
Once you've made your purchase, set up your free Apple TV Plus trial within 90 days, following these steps:
1. Turn on your new Apple device and sign in with your Apple ID.
2. Open the Apple TV app. Make sure your device is running the latest version of iOS, iPadOS, tvOS, or macOS.
3. The offer should be presented immediately after launching the app. If not, go to the Apple TV+ tab where you'll see the offer.
4. Tap 'Enjoy 3 Months Free' and you're done!
After the three-month trial ends, you'll be charged the usual £8.99 / $9.99 / AU$12.99 a month subscription free. No contract, cancel anytime.
3. Apple TV+ 1-month free trial
Apple One bundles together Apple services – including Apple TV+ – into one monthly subscription. The Individual plan costs just £18.95 / $19.95 / AU$24.95 a month and new users get one month free.
That means you can trial Apple TV+, Apple Music, Apple Arcade and iCloud+ without paying a dime!
Here's how to get Apple One:
1. On your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, go to Settings, tap your name, then tap Subscriptions.
2. Tap Apple One.
3. Choose a plan.
4. If you already subscribe to Apple Music, Apple News+, Apple Arcade or Apple TV+, you don't need to cancel those subscriptions. They will be cancelled automatically when you're billed for Apple One.
Important: existing subscriptions are not eligible for a free trial. So, if you've already signed up to Apple TV+, you won't get the one month refunded.
Other ways to get an Apple TV+ free trial
PlayStation is still offering PS5 and PS4 owners a three-month Apple TV Plus free trial. If that's you, you have until 31st January 2024 to redeem the offer and start watching Apple Originals for nada.
Sky is offering its VIP customers six months of free Apple TV+. To redeem, head to the VIP section of the My Sky app. Offer valid until 31st December 2023.
EE offers six months of free Apple TV+ with certain phone contracts. Just select it as an add-on, or text TV PLUS to 150 and EE will send you an activation code.
Three includes Apple TV+ for three months when you buy certain Apple devices, or you buy a Home broadband with Apple TV bundle.
O2 includes three months of Apple TV+ as part of its Priority programme. It's valid until 1st September 2024.
How to watch free Apple TV+ episodes
You don't need an Apple TV+ free trial to watch something for nothing. Apple gives plenty of free episodes on its website – just head here, select a series, and click Play Free Episode where available.
Is there an Apple TV+ student discount?
Yes, sort of. Students enrolled at "degree-granting universities and colleges" can join Apple Music at a discounted monthly rate for up to 48 months. The deal includes Apple TV+ free for a limited time (one month in most cases). Here's how to get a student subscription to Apple Music.
Is Apple TV+ worth trying?
We think so. Apple's dedicated subscription streaming service might not have the same depth of content as rivals like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+, but what it does offer is quality over quantity. It's ad-free and features a host of high-profile Apple Originals including Prehistoric Planet, Slow Horses, Silo, Hijack, Invasion, Lessons In Chemistry, Luck, Black Bird, Now And Then, The Essex Serpent, Shining Girls, They Call Me Magic, Pachinko, WeCrashed, The Last Days Of Ptolemy Grey and Severance.
In our Apple TV+ review, we praised its "reasonable pricing, superb streaming quality, Dolby Vision HDR support and lavishly-produced exclusives". We stand by that and, if anything, Apple TV Plus has gone from strength to strength since we wrote our initial verdict (though, like other streaming services, the price has gone up in recent years).
How to get the Apple TV+ app
To watch, all you'll need is the Apple TV app. This comes pre-installed on a host of supported devices including those made by Apple (and some Samsung smart TVs). Or it can be downloaded for other devices like Roku and Amazon streaming sticks.
Then just follow these steps.
- Open the Apple TV app on your supported device
- Sign in with your Apple ID
- Select a show and start watching
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