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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, 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 £4.99 / $4.99 / AU$7.99 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 multipleApple TV Plus free trials available. Why settle for seven days if you're entitled to three months? Read on for a complete rundown of the best Apple TV Plus free trial options, and how to get each one.
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1. Apple TV+ 7-day free trial
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Anyone new to Apple TV+ can score a 7-day free trial (opens in new tab).
Sign up now and you can watch for free for 7 days. After that, you'll be automatically charged the standard subscription fee of £4.99 / $4.99 / AU$7.99 a month.
You're perfectly within your rights to sign up, watch free for 7 days, then cancel without paying a penny. No contact; no hassle.
2. Apple TV+ 3-month free trial
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You can get 3 months of Apple TV+ free when you buy a new iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, 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 3 month trial ends, you'll be charged the usual £4.99 / $4.99 / AU$7.99 a month subscription free. No contract, cancel anytime.
3. Apple TV+ 1-month free trial
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Apple One bundles together Apple services – including Apple TV+ – into one monthly subscription. The Individual plan costs just £14.95 / $14.95 / AU$19.95 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 1 month free.
Other ways to get an Apple TV+ free trial
PlayStation is still offering PS5 owners an extended 6 month Apple TV Plus free trial (PS4 owners get a 3 month free trial). If that's you, you have until 19th October 2022 to redeem the offer and start watching Apple Originals for nada.
Samsung is offering owners of 2018-2022 Samsung smart TV models a free 90-day subscription to Apple TV+. The offer ends on 28th November 2022.
Roku is offering its customers three-months free Apple TV+ when they subscribe through a Roku device. Offer ends 28th November 2022.
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 (1 month in most cases). Here's how to get a student subscription (opens in new tab) to Apple Music.
Is Apple TV+ worth trying?
(Image credit: Apple TV+)
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 (aside from Apple ads) and features a host of high-profile Apple Originals including Prehistoric Planet, Slow Horses, 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.
New shows debut every week and there's plenty "coming soon", including:
- Black & Blues: The Colorful Ballad of Louis Armstrong (Fall 2022)
- Spirited(Winter 2022) – Will Ferrell in a musical version of A Christmas Carol
- Killers of the Flower Moon (TBA) – Leonardo DiCaprio Western crime drama
- Emancipation (December 2022) – Oscar hopeful starring Will Smith
In our April 2020 Apple TV Plus 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 typed up our initial verdict.
- Here's how to stream TV shows and movies for free (including Disney Plus)
How to get the Apple TV+ app
(Image credit: Apple)
To watch, all you'll need is the Apple TV app. This comes pre-installed on a host of supported devices including made by Apple (and some Samsung smart TVs) or can be downloaded for other devices like Roku and Amazon streaming sticks.
Then just follow these steps.
- Open the TV app on your supported device
- Sign in with your Apple ID
- Select a show and start watching
MORE:
Read our full Apple TV+ review
Shop today's best Apple deals
The best streaming services for music and movies
Tom is a journalist, copywriter and content designer based in the UK. He has written articles for T3, ShortList, The Sun, The Mail on Sunday, The Daily Telegraph, Elle Deco, The Sunday Times, Men's Health, Mr Porter, Oracle and many more (including What Hi-Fi?). His specialities include mobile technology, electric vehicles and video streaming.