It’s easy to find free movie apps for your Android phone or iPhone. While it might seem unbelievable that you can simply download an app onto your phone or tablet and start watching films, there are a number of apps that let you do just that. And for free.
This article runs through the best of them. It covers the six best free movie apps for Android and iOS, and it explains their main features and exactly what you can do with them. So if you’ve been struggling to find things to watch on your smartphone, look no further.
Sling TV
Sling TV is one of the best free movie apps for smartphones. It’s also one of the best free TV apps, since it lets you watch a range of programming, from sports and news to comedy programs and kids shows.
You can use Sling TV to stream live television from over 150 channels. These include ESPN, TNT, CNN, HGTV, the History Channel, and many others. Sling TV also offers more than 100,000 on-demand movies and shows, as well as a range of programming for the kiddies, from such networks as Disney Channel, Nick Jr., and Cartoon Network.
As with any good TV app, Sling TV lets you personalize your content and channels on the app, enabling you to save your favorite channels and shows.
Android iOS
Tubi
Tubi is another free app for Android and iOS that lets you watch TV and movies. It boasts a wide selection of films and programs, from newly released movies to anime, Korean dramas, and British series. It also adds new movies and shows to its selection each Friday.
One welcome feature is that Tubi lets you transmit your screen to a television using either Chromecast or AirPlay, so you don’t have to spend all your time staring at a touchscreen. Other nice touches include the ability to sync your Tubi account with multiple devices, the ability to pick up movies and shows from where you last watched them, and also the ability to manage your own personal queue of videos to watch.
While Tubi features a wide selection of TV programs and movies from Paramount, Lionsgate, MGM, and other studios, some reviewers have complained that it doesn’t provide the most recent films. Nonetheless, this is to be expected with a free movie app, and Tubi does still offer a generous and expanding roster of content.
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Vudu
Vudu is an excellent free app that lets you stream thousands of films for free using your smartphone and other devices, and it also provides a varied selection of TV shows spanning multiple genres. Vudu’s interface is very clearly laid out and easy to navigate. Shows and movies are organized according to category, so all you have to do is browse, tap on a title and get watching.
One standout feature of Vudu that distinguishes it from other free movie apps is that it lets you download movies and shows to your device, so you can watch content offline. You can even use its Disc to Digital feature to scan the boxes of DVDs you own to download them onto your smartphone.
However, while Vudu is free to download and offers a broad range of free content, it also offers movies that you need to pay to watch.
Android iOS
Crackle
Developed by Sony Pictures Television, Crackle is one of the most well-known free movie apps. It boasts a strong selection of free movies in such genres as comedy, drama, action, and thriller. And like most good free movie apps, it also lets you watch TV shows, both new and old.
One of Crackle’s unique features is its Spotlight Channel, which features shows and movies recommended by the Crackle team. This is a great way to discover content you haven’t heard of or given a chance before, while the Watch Later function means you can save a list of things you’d like to check out as soon as you get the chance.
Like most free movie apps, Crackle displays ads. However, if you sign up for an account, you can make them less frequent, resulting in a better and cleaner experience.
Android iOS
Viki
Developed by Rakuten, Viki is an excellent free movie and TV app. And if you happen to be a lover of Asian TV and cinema, from Korea, China, and Japan, then it may just be the perfect movie smartphone app for you. Viki’s selection of content brims with a healthy range of Asian TV dramas, movies, lifestyle shows, and variety TV. And even if you don’t happen to speak Korean, Chinese or Japanese, the app provides subtitles in more than 200 languages.
One great feature of the app is that it gives you the chance to chat with each other while watching programs and movies. This is a fantastic way of meeting like-minded TV and film enthusiasts, and it helps give Viki a communal vibe that other free movie apps lack.
While Viki is free to download and does offer a vast selection of free content, it offers a subscription service that removes the ads and also provides early access to Viki Originals and Viki Exclusives. This begins at $4 per month.
Android iOS
SnagFilms
A free movie app for documentary and indie film lovers, SnagFilms may not have true mass appeal, but it’s guaranteed to please those who like their movies esoteric and niche. It offers more than 5,000 independent films, documentaries, and TV shows, as well as foreign language films. Basically, if you want to impress your friends with your knowledge of obscure cinema, then SnagFilms is the app for you.
SnagFilms is very easy to use and navigate, and it can be used to cast your smartphone’s screen to your main TV. It lets you save films to be watched later, it lets you sync your account across multiple devices, and it even lets you share your favorite shows and films via Facebook and Twitter.
SnagFilms is completely free, and has a strong 4.5 out of 5 rating on the Apple App Store. Some Android users complain that it doesn’t always work properly for them, although others note that any problems clear up after you sign up for an account.
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