Hands-On With the New Apple TV+ Streaming Service

It's November 1, which means Apple TV+, Apple's long-awaited streaming service with original TV shows and movies, has now launched and is available to anyone who has a web browser or a compatible device.

In our latest YouTube video, we check out ‌Apple TV+‌, take a look at some of the devices where you can watch it, and check out some of the new shows.


For an Apple service, ‌Apple TV+‌ is available on a surprising number of devices. You can watch it on an iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple TV (just make sure all of your software is up to date) or on any device with a Safari, Chrome, or Firefox browser.

It's also on the Roku, Amazon Fire TV devices, and Samsung smart TVs at the current time. On all of these devices, you can get to ‌Apple TV+‌ by opening up the ‌Apple TV‌ app. There are tons of banners for it so it's impossible to miss, but a sure fire way to find it is to go to the Channels section in the ‌Apple TV‌ app.

In the Channels section (or if you select any of the ‌Apple TV+‌ banners for various TV shows), you can sign up for an ‌Apple TV+‌ subscription. ‌Apple TV+‌ costs $4.99 per month with a 7-day free trial or $49.99 per year, which saves you a couple bucks if you plan to subscribe long term.

Of course, if you purchased an ‌Apple TV‌, ‌iPhone‌, ‌iPad‌, Mac, or iPod touch after September 10, 2019, you're also entitled to a free year of ‌Apple TV+‌ service, which you can redeem right in the ‌Apple TV‌ app by making sure you're signed in with the Apple ID you have associated with the new device.

The trial period lasts for a full year, and it's good for the whole family. If you bought multiple devices, you don't get to stack the free trial, and the same is true of multiple family members who each bought a device. It's one free trial per family, and ‌Apple TV+‌ is available for up to six family members using Family Sharing.

Make sure not to cancel your one-year subscription right after signing up because it ends it right away rather than letting you have a full year's access. Instead, make a calendar reminder for October 30th, 2020 (if you signed up on launch day) and you can get the full watch period and make sure you're not charged when the year trial is up.

‌Apple TV+‌ is super cheap and Apple is giving away a free year because content is super limited. There's no back catalog of content and there's no content from third-party providers -- this is all Apple's original content and there's not much to go on right now.

Here's everything that's available at launch:

  • The Morning Show
  • For All Mankind
  • See
  • Dickinson
  • Ghostwriter
  • Helpsters
  • The Elephant Queen (the sole movie)
  • Oprah's Book Club
  • Snoopy in Space

Apple plans to add new content on a regular basis and has new shows like Servant and Truth Be Told coming in the near future, but for the time being, there's not a lot here compared to other streaming services. Apple is also limiting some shows to three episodes at launch, with new episodes to come out over time.

"The Morning Show," "See," and "For All Mankind" have three episodes available, but most other shows are available in their entirety.

The ‌Apple TV+‌ section of the ‌Apple TV‌ app is well-organized with dedicated cards for each of the currently available shows and movies, plus a section for titles that are coming soon. There are show descriptions, trailers, and other details that you can view before deciding on a series to watch.

Each show has its own handy page where you can see cast information, related TV shows, and anything else you might want to know before deciding to try out a series. Shows you've started will show up in "Watch Now" across all of your devices so you can start a show on one device and then pick it up on another. You can also download ‌Apple TV+‌ shows for offline viewing by tapping on the little cloud icon next to a show on the ‌iPhone‌, ‌iPad‌, or Mac.

If you don't want to sign up for an ‌Apple TV+‌ subscription or want to try it out first, there are a few free premieres that you can watch at the current time.

As a side note, if you're having trouble getting your free year of ‌Apple TV+‌ activated on your ‌iPhone‌, make sure to go to ‌Apple TV+‌ on the web (tv.apple.com) and log in with your ‌Apple ID‌. From here, you should see the free one-year trial option. After that, just sign out of the TV app on your ‌iPhone‌, open it up again, and sign in, which should get everything working smoothly.

Have you watched any of Apple's new ‌Apple TV+‌ content? Let us know what you thought in the comments.

Top Rated Comments

fumi2014 Avatar
51 months ago
The small selection is not the problem. Creating TV that is compulsive viewing is.

I've watched the first episode of each of See, The Morning Show & For All Mankind and I can honestly say I don't care if I ever see any of it again.

TV Shows really need to hook an audience on the first episode and ideally in the first 30 mins - none of these do that. They don't even suggest that there is better to come.

Apple have created a bunch of shows that nobody was asking for on a TV service that no-one needed because they know that services are where the money is now.

Apple TV+ is Hot Garbage. Even if this was free forever, I wouldn't bother with it.

I know there will be many on here that will enjoy these lame TV offerings but in this day and age, people are highly discerning due to there being just so much quality content elsewhere - they won't waste time on these offerings.

I know fan boys will jump on this and try and defend it but this is a company with untold money and resources that have failed miserably at the starting gate.
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
FightTheFuture Avatar
51 months ago

Apple TV+ is Hot Garbage. Even if this was free forever, I wouldn't bother with it.

I know there will be many on here that will enjoy these lame TV offerings but in this day and age, people are highly discerning due to there being just so much quality content elsewhere - they won't waste time on these offerings.

I know fan boys will jump on this and try and defend it but this is a company with untold money and resources that have failed miserably at the starting gate.
you heard it here folks. You either have bad taste or you’re a fanboy if you like these shows.

I haven’t seen one frame of these shows and it annoys me to see posts like these. Guys, like what you want to like. The last thing you need is some internet dude dictating your taste.
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
coolfactor Avatar
51 months ago

More hype than substance for AppleTV+.
It's just the beginning. Why be so negative? Step outside, get some sunlight. ;)
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gkarris Avatar
51 months ago
Apple have created a bunch of shows that nobody was asking for on a TV service that no-one needed because they know that services are where the money is now.

Apple TV+ is Hot Garbage. Even if this was free forever, I wouldn't bother with it.

I know there will be many on here that will enjoy these lame TV offerings but in this day and age, people are highly discerning due to there being just so much quality content elsewhere - they won't waste time on these offerings.

I know fan boys will jump on this and try and defend it but this is a company with untold money and resources that have failed miserably at the starting gate.
I've been wanting new Peanuts for a long time now....

Got it.... :) Free year...

I A M A F A N B O I...... :)
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cknibbs Avatar
51 months ago
Watched the first 15 min of “The Morning Show” and stopped after a while - I find it’s hard to focus on the story with so many vulgarities.

I kind of expected more from Apple in regards to “PG-ing” the content... but I’m probably one of a handful that thinks you can still tell great stories without needing to have so many vulgarities.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LonestarOne Avatar
51 months ago


I this day and age, people are highly discerning due to there being just so much quality content elsewhere - they won't waste time on these offerings.

Cough, choke! You almost made spray milk out of my nose. Did you actually say there was quality content on television?
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 16 Mock Header With Dynamic Island

Skipping the iPhone 15 Pro? Here's What's Rumored for iPhone 16 Pro

Friday September 22, 2023 9:29 am PDT by
Are you skipping the iPhone 15 Pro and waiting another year to upgrade? If so, we already have some iPhone 16 Pro rumors for you. Below, we recap new features rumored for the iPhone 16 Pro models so far:Larger displays: The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will be equipped with larger 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch displays, respectively, according to Ross Young, CEO of Display Supply Chain...
Update Your iPhone 15 to iOS 17

Warning: Update Your iPhone 15 to iOS 17.0.2 Before Transferring Data From Another iPhone

Friday September 22, 2023 6:36 am PDT by
If you are unboxing an iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, or iPhone 15 Pro Max today, make sure to update the device to iOS 17.0.2 before transferring data to the device from another iPhone, or else you might encounter issues. iOS 17.0.2 is only available for the iPhone 15 lineup. Apple says the update fixes an issue that may prevent transferring data directly from another iPhone...
iOS 17

Apple Releases iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1 With Bug Fixes, Plus iOS 17.0.2 for iPhone 15 Models

Thursday September 21, 2023 10:28 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1 updates for the iPhone and the iPad, adding bug fixes to the new software. The iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1 updates come just a few days after Apple launched iOS 17 and iPadOS 17. The software, which is build 21A340, can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. There is a...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 double tap gesture 230912

watchOS 10.1 to Enable Apple Watch's New 'Double Tap' Gesture

Thursday September 21, 2023 12:52 pm PDT by
The new Double Tap gesture for the Apple Watch Series 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 will be enabled starting with watchOS 10.1, according to Marques Brownlee, host of the popular tech-focused YouTube channel MKBHD. The first beta of watchOS 10.1 will likely be available by next week, and Apple announced that the software update will be released next month. Brownlee shared his impressions...