Are you looking for a way to watch TV on your Android device for free? If you don’t have a cable subscription, or if you are interested in cutting the cord and saving costs, we’ve got you covered.
You might not realize it, but there are plenty of apps that allow you to watch free TV, including live TV, on your Android phone, Android tablet, or Android TV at no extra charge.
This article will give you a list of the best free Android TV apps. Some of these apps may have a mix of free and premium content, but the thing that all of the apps in this article have in common is that they offer free TV.
Quick Summary
The best apps for watching TV for free on Android include:
- Pluto TV
- Plex TV
- Tubi TV
- Amazon Freevee
- Sling Freestream
This is just an excerpt from our list. For the full list of the best free TV apps for Android, continue reading!
Best Free Android TV Apps
1. Pluto TV
Pluto TV has over 250 live channels and thousands of on-demand shows. It is entirely free to use.
It offers more than 100,000 hours of content. Pluto TV is supported by ads, which is how it is able to afford to have legal contracts with different companies to offer free streaming.
The ads are shown in breaks during programming, sort of what you would expect to see on cable TV.
From Criminal Minds to The Walking Dead, you can find all of the popular shows on Pluto TV.
It also has over 45 channels in Spanish, making it perfect for Spanish-speaking households and those who would like to practice their Spanish.
2. ZEE5
ZEE5 is a free app for streaming live television. It has thousands of TV shows and movies and hundreds of ZEE5 Originals.
Most of the content on ZEE5 is entirely free to use. Some content requires a premium subscription, such as premium ZEE5 Originals and other premium content.
ZEE5 Originals are original movies that can only be found on ZEE5.
The ZEE5 platform also offers global add-ons, which allow you to expand your catalog beyond what is offered in the United States and play content from the South Asian market. With the add-ons, you can stream content from platforms like Oho Gujarati and Simply South.
The ZEE5 app has content from 18 languages, including free content in all of those languages. Dubbing is provided in seven languages, although the exact languages available may depend on the specific series or show you are watching.
The ZEE5 app also allows you to download content to watch offline, when you have no internet connection.
Another thing that you can watch live on ZEE5 is cricket. Live cricket games are available.
You can search for your favorite shows and content using the smart search bar. Voice search is also supported.
3. Tubi TV
Tubi TV is a streaming platform that is owned by Fox Media. You can watch live TV, including live local, national, and global sports.
Sports is not the only content available on the app. Tubi TV also features live news streaming.
From weather forecasts to live entertainment, there is plenty of content on Tubi TV for everyone.
A Spanish section is available for Spanish speakers. There are telenovelas, for example.
There are also dubbed classics for Spanish speakers.
For kids, there is Tubi Kids, featuring kid-friendly content that will entertain your children. Not only that, but parents can set parental controls for kids so that their children don’t end up watching inappropriate content when not being supervised.
For comics, check out Tubi Comics. There, you can find The Batman, Lois and Clark, and other popular comics.
Another cool thing about Tubi TV is its wealth of international content. From exciting Bollywood classics to Naruto to K-pop, those who want a bit of a different cultural twist can get their fix.
Tubi Originals are original movies created by Tubi and only available on Tubi. Dead Hot, for example, is a thriller crime series that is only available on Tubi TV.
Create an account to track your watch history, create playlists, and get personalized recommendations on things to watch.
4. PBS
With the free PBS app, you can stream content on demand and watch live shows from your local PBS station, right on your phone. However, for legal and licensing reasons, the content that is available on the app depends on your local station, and you must also be near a local PBS station to stream.
A premium membership is available for users located near some PBS stations. It’s called PBS Passport, and it only requires a small monthly donation, which varies from station to station.
PBS Passport gives you access to exclusive shows and movies that are not available to non-paying members.
In any case, there is a lot of content you can watch on PBS. From documentaries to dramas, you will never be bored if you have the PBS app.
Whether you want to watch movies, breaking local and global news, indie shows, or other content, PBS has it all.
5. PBS Kids Video
For your kids, you can download PBS KIDS Video. PBS KIDS Video features kids’ classics like Curious George, Sesame Street, and other popular shows.
It also provides tons of educational content, along with new releases from PBS KIDS Video, so your child never gets bored. Over 600 episodes from dozens of popular shows are available.
PBS KIDS Video has live TV streaming for kids. In addition, there are over 5,000 short clips for your children’s entertainment.
Audio and captions are available in both English and Spanish.
6. Peacock TV
Peacock TV, from NBCUniversal, has thousands of TV shows and movies, including new and classic content.
Thousands of hours of TV series are available for free, as are Peacock Channels. Peacock Channels include NBC Sports on Peacock, WWE, NBC News NOW, TODAY All Day, and others.
Spanish speakers can watch Telemundo for Spanish-language TV.
Peacock Premium is the premium version. It gives you access to the full library and live sports, as well as WWE Premium Live Events like WrestleMania. Some of the live sports available with Peacock Premium include PGA Tour and Premier League matches.
There is yet another plan called Peacock Premium Plus, which removes ads and allows you to download titles for offline watching. It also gives you access to your local NBC channel around the clock.
In either case, whether you stick to the free version or get the premium one, Peacock is a great app. There are even Peacock Originals, allowing you to watch content you can’t get elsewhere.
7. Plex
Plex is an app that lets you stream live TV without a cable subscription. It has over 600 channels and over 50,000 movies.
You can watch movies from AMC, Paramount, and others. Live channels that you can watch on PBS include FOX Sports, The Hallmark Channel, and news from CBS, Euronews, the Financial Times, and others.
While there is a ton of content that is available for free, there is additional premium content that you can get with Plex Rentals.
If you want to see a specific movie, you can rent it out for a limited time on the app, which is often more economical than paying for a monthly subscription. You can also save a trip to the cinema, as these rentals often include new releases that are currently being shown in cinemas.
8. Sling Live TV + Freestream
Sling TV is one of the most popular cable alternatives in the United States. While most of its most popular content requires a paid subscription, it also offers Sling Freestream.
Freestream allows you to stream live TV, series, movies, and shows for free. Over 500 channels are available for free streaming on Freestream.
Not only that, but Freestream allows you to earn rewards in both cash and prizes when you watch.
From ABC News Live to CBS Mornings, you can find tons of amazing TV on Freestream at no cost, and with no credit card required.
In addition to the 500+ live channels, there are over 40,000 movies and shows that you can stream on demand. You can find comics, dramas, documentaries, and other films.
Freestream Crime Files provides exclusive access to hot crime dramas. You can watch Sex, Lies, and Murder, for example.
If you do ever want premium content, plans start at just $4.99/month for additional channels. There are live sports, kids’ shows, lifestyle shows, and international programs in 22 languages.
9. ABC
The ABC app has plenty of live TV for you to watch. You can watch 24/7 live channels for free, including the 20/20 Live channel, without even creating an account or signing in.
However, it would be best if you did create an account with ABC. Creating an account will allow you to track your watching history and sync your preferences across your devices.
Other live TV shows available on ABC include Good Morning America, the nightly world news from ABC, and live sports. Much of the content, not including the free TV, requires a subscription with a cable TV provider to sign in and watch.
10. Amazon Freevee
Amazon Freevee is an app from Amazon that offers free TV streaming. It features thousands of TV shows, movies, and live channels that stream news and entertainment around the clock.
You don’t need a credit card. All you need is an Amazon account with which to log in, after which you will be able to watch all of the content on Freevee for free.
With your account, you can create watch lists for shows you want to watch later.
Amazon Freevee also features many Amazon Originals.
New titles are released every month, so you can watch without getting bored.
11. FREECABLE TV
FREECABLE TV features over 3,000 live channels, TV shows, movies, and series. That includes over 15 of the top news channels for local, national, and global news.
From the weather to cartoons, you can find it all on FREECABLE TV. Whether you are interested in celebrity gossip shows, live sports, comedy, or reality programs, just download FREECABLE TV to get started.
12. Fandango at Home
Fandango at Home is an app that allows you to watch thousands of free TV shows with commercials.
There are over 250,000 titles to watch, including many that are in 4K UHD video quality. New shows are added all the time.
Some of the shows do require a subscription or must be rented out, but as mentioned, there are thousands of free titles as well. You can even download movies and watch them offline.
13. STIRR
STIRR is an app from Thinking Media that allows you to watch over 100 free TV channels. Whether you want to watch local or global news, you can do so.
From sports to weather, you can watch all sorts of live news updates on STIRR.
Not only that, but STIRR also features tons of movies and TV shows. There are action movies, investigative news reports, drama, classic series, and sci-fi movies.
14. NBC
On The NBC App, you can watch live TV for free! Some of the content that is available for free includes episodes and clips from popular TV shows like Law and Order, Chicago PD, and America’s Got Talent.
If you have a subscription with a TV service provider, you can link your account to watch NBC Live Stream, including all the shows that it has to offer.
New episodes of popular shows on NBC are recorded and available for streaming on demand as soon as the day after they air.
You can also stream shows from Bravo, Oxygen, and other popular networks live.
15. FreeTV
FreeTV is an aptly named app that offers TV shows at no cost. You can watch TV, live, without paying.
Popular movies and TV series are available in both English and Spanish from around the world. From documentaries to popular Hollywood classics, FreeTV has it all.
Different categories are available, such as FreeTV Crime and FreeTV Drama.
16. TV5MONDEplus
If you are interested in practicing your French, try TV5MONDEplus, which is the best French language app for free TV. Both Canadian and global French news programs are available.
Over 7,000 hours of programs are available at no cost, from detective films to thrillers to comedy. There are also programs from channels such as Télé-Québec and Radio Canada.
Podcasts are available, too.
Subtitles are available in English and Spanish to help you follow along if your French is not yet perfect.
Conclusion
There’s no need to pay for expensive cable subscriptions or memberships with online TV providers when there is a plethora of options available for free.
My best advice would be to download several of these apps, since the content varies from app to app. That way, you can find all of the best content for free without paying.
If you only download one of these apps, it might not have the specific channel or shows you are interested in. By diversifying, you can access the largest selection of free content at no cost.