How to get an Apple TV+ free trial in 2024: Access a treasure trove of cinematic brilliance with cutting-edge series and prestigious films.
Hedy Phillips , Tyler Schoeber Aug. 13, 2024 at 5:46 p.m. PTDisclaimer: When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
In just a few years, Apple TV+ has gone from a quiet newcomer to a streaming service that's hard to ignore. Thanks to Apple's smart investments in exciting sci-fi series and films from big-name directors like Martin Scorsese and Ridley Scott, the platform is now packed with quality content. With fresh shows and movies being added all the time, there's always something new to enjoy on Apple TV+.
Wondering if you can try it out for free? Good news! There are several ways to get a free trial, especially if you've recently picked up an Apple product. Read on to find out how you can dive into Apple TV+ without spending a dime.
Apple TV+ doesn't just have one free trial; there are actually three different offers available for those who want to give it a try. Here's everything you need to know.
Apple TV+ offers three different free trials of various lengths length, ranging from seven days to three months. After the free trial, the price then bounces back up to the full price, which is currently $10/month.
You can also take advantage of the seven-day Apple TV+ free trial that is available to everybody looking to give Apple TV+ a shot. Once you've signed up for Apple TV+, your weeklong free trial will begin immediately. At the end of your free trial, you'll be charged $10/month for your subscription.
The seven-day free trial may be a good option for longtime Apple users who may already have a portfolio of Apple devices and are just looking to try the streamer out for a limited time. Be sure to check out Apple TV's shows and movies for a quick list of recommendations for what to watch during your free trial.
The last option that users have to try out Apple TV+ is with a subscription to Apple One, which includes a one-month Apple TV+ free trial. With Apple One, you can bundle up to six Apple services for a single price. Services that can be bundled include Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, iCloud+, Apple News+, and Apple Fitness+.
The monthly cost for Apple One varies depending on the number of people on the plan and the number of services included in the bundle. An Individual plan costs $20/month, while Family plans — which can be shared with up to five people — cost $26/month. Both plans include Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and iCloud+. Premier plans are $38/month and can also be shared among five people, but will also add Apple News+ and Apple Fitness+ to the package.
The biggest difference between the plans is the amount of cloud storage offered. The Individual plan comes with 50GB of storage, while the Family plan has 200GB and the Premier plan has 2TB of storage.
To snag three months of Apple+ for free, you'll have to spend some money to begin with. Purchase a new iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Apple TV, or Mac device that runs on the latest iOS, iPadOS, tvOS, or macOS and that will give you access to three free months of Apple TV+. As you're setting up your new Apple device, you should receive a promotional message inviting you to try out Apple TV+ via a three-month free trial. To access the trial, head over to Apple TV+ and set up your account.
Keep in mind, you'll only be offered an Apple TV+ trial if you purchase one of the above devices and you activate the service within 90 days of setting up your new device. At the conclusion of the free trial, the service automatically renews and you'll be charged $10/month for your Apple TV+ subscription until you choose to cancel it.
If you're signing up for Apple TV+ or the Apple One bundle, simply click on the "Try It Free" button, and either sign in with your Apple ID or create one. This can be done on either the Apple website or through their app.
To receive the three-month free trial offer, you must first purchase one of the eligible devices mentioned above. You'll be prompted to sign up for Apple TV+ during the setup process.
Shop for some Apple products to purchase that will initiate a three-month free trial below
College and university students pursuing a bachelor's or graduate degree are eligible for a discounted subscription to Apple Music for up to four years. Apple Music has more than 90 million songs on more than 30,000 playlists. Students pay $6/month, compared to the regular individual price of $11/month.
Once students sign up for Apple Music, they automatically receive a subscription to an Individual Apple TV+ plan, included at no extra cost — meaning you're really saving $15/month. Additionally, Apple Music comes with a three-month free trial, so students can receive both Apple Music and Apple TV+ free for one quarter of the year. The Apple Music student discount is only good for 48 months though.
As mentioned, the best bundle for those looking to try out Apple TV+ is the Apple One bundle. It groups up to six Apple services for families and individuals alike to enjoy.
In addition to Apple TV, the bundle could include Apple Music, Apple Arcade+, iCloud+, Apple News+, and Apple Fitness+. Apple Arcade has more than 200 games that do not include ads or in-app purchases. With iCloud+, you can have up to 2TB of cloud storage that can be shared across your devices and with up to five family members.
With one subscription, Apple News offers hundreds of newspapers and magazines. Among the titles included are Bloomberg Businessweek, Consumer Reports, Los Angeles Times, National Geographic, New York Magazine, The New Yorker, Newsweek, People, Reader's Digest, Sports Illustrated, Time, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and The Wall Street Journal.
Powered by the Apple Watch, Apple Fitness offers 12 workout types, including HIIT, pilates, strength, yoga, walking, and more. New workouts, ranging from five to 45 minutes are added each week. Apple Fitness is available through the Fitness app on iPhones, iPads, and Apple TV. However, an Apple Watch is required for the personalized experience the service offers.
Apple TV+ doesn't offer deals beyond its free trials. The service is $10/month, making it an affordable option for most cord-cutters, but after spending its first few years at $5/month, the pricing is now more in line with its competition. And since there are several ways to try the service for free before subscribing, you probably won't find many active Apple TV+ deals or promotions out there.
This doesn't mean they'll never come to pass, though. Apple TV+ is still trying to find its footing as one of the newer competitors in the ever-changing streaming wars, similar to how streaming services like Max only offers a free trial from time to time to promote certain shows and movies.
If you were to make a pros and cons list for Apple TV+, the service's apparent lack of significant Apple TV+ promos would probably be the first item listed on the cons side. Apple TV+ hasn't offered many deals since it launched in the streaming space and currently doesn't offer any. This can be a huge drawback for potential subscribers, especially when you compare the service to others like it.
Additionally, services like Hulu and Amazon Prime Video have touted student discounts to keep prices low for consumers. A student plan for Hulu is only available for the basic subscription model and will cost you $2/month, which is a very strong student discount. When it comes to Amazon Prime, you can purchase a student subscription for $7.49/month if you're between the ages of 18-24. Once you've signed up for your student plan, your whopping six-month free trial of the service will start, and you'll gain access to Amazon Prime and Prime Video.
When it comes to free trials, Apple TV+ has plenty of options to choose from depending on whether or not you need a new Apple product or not. But when it comes to other deals and promotions, the streaming service is lacking a little bit — it just doesn't offer discounts. At least not yet.
That being said, Apple TV+ is one of the fastest growing streaming services in 2024. It offers some of the best, most-loved television shows that you won't be able to find anywhere else, such as Presumed Innocent, Ted Lasso, Severance, Silo, and more. Additionally, there are a number of films Apple TV+ has that you also won't be able to watch elsewhere. And, we mean it when we say it, Apple TV+ content is absolutely incredible. The storylines, the characters, the actors, the directors — it's truly a streaming service that really knows how to produce impressive in-house content.
Apple TV+ has also stayed consistent with pricing since its major bump from $5/month at it's start. Since then, we've only consistently seen Apple TV+ at $10/month after the fact and it hasn't changed since. With major streaming services boosting their prices year after year, we can really appreciate Apple TV+'s commitment to affordability.
All in all, Apple TV+ is an incredibly put-together streaming service with undeniably great content. In our opinion, it's worth your monthly $10 — especially when there are so many ways to start streaming for free.
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