Apple TV Plus Guide: Cost, Sign up, What to Stream, Devices, Q&A

Sally Polly March 29, 2021 | 06:22

Apple has joined the likes of Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and HBO Max with its own exclusive streaming service, Apple TV+. What is Apple TV plus? How much does it cost? What to stream right now, and what is Apple TV Plus's FAQs? Keep reading to know more!

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The streaming wars rage on and Apple TV Plus continues to put a case forward as to why it is one that should be on your radar.

From amazing TV shows like Defending Jacob and Ted Lasso, to hit movies including Greyhound and Palmer, the streamer’s slate of content has continued to grow, with its projects still attracting some of the biggest names in the business.

What is Apple TV Plus?

Apple TV Plus is Apple’s premium subscription streaming service that attempts to take on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and others. It’s completely ad-free and features a host of original shows and movies made under the Apple Originals program, as well as a small library of licensed content.

This bolsters Apple’s existing Apple TV, which is both a set-top streaming box and a service that allows you to subscribe to other streaming services within the app. The idea is that you can bring all of your streaming services into one place, rather than having to remember multiple accounts and passwords.

Because we know it’s confusing with several services and products under the Apple TV banner, here’s a breakdown of the three:

Apple TV (product): A set-top box that allows you to stream video from iTunes, Amazon Prime Video, ESPN, Hulu, Netflix, and other streaming services. There are currently two models, one for HD and one for 4K. Both models run the Apple TV app.

Apple TV app: A free app/service that serves as a hub for content from various streaming services, also allowing individual subscriptions to certain channels as well as movie rentals or purchases. Comes pre-installed on most Apple products (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Mac, and Apple TV).

Apple TV Plus: A Netflix-like subscription service with more than 30 Apple Originals, plus a modest catalog of syndicated content.

Apple TV Plus Price: What’s the cost of Apple TV Plus?

Photo: Apple TV Plus

Here in the UK, Apple TV Plus will set you back £4.99 a month – but you can get a free year if you buy selected Apple products – a good two birds / one stone situation if you need one of those too.

It’s worth noting that there is only one price for the service, and Apple TV streaming includes up to six family members, 4K quality, and media downloads. There are no more expensive plans with extra features — it’s all included in the basic plan.

If you already subscribe to a few other Apple products like Apple Music, it might be worth opting for an Apple One subscription. This includes Apple TV Plus, Apple Music, Apple Arcade, and 50GB of iCloud storage for just $14.95 a month. There’s also a family plan for $19.95 for up to six family members. The most expensive plan costs $29.95, boosting iCloud storage to 2TB and including Apple News Plus and the new Apple Fitness Plus.

Around the world, other countries have similar costs, but you can find the list of international Apple TV Plus prices below:

USA: $4.99/month, $49.99/year

Canada: $5.99/month

UK: £4.99/month

Europe: €4.99/month

India: Rs. 99/month

Australia: A$7.99/month

Apple TV Plus devices: How to download the Apple TV app

On all available devices, so compatible smart TV’s, fire sticks, gaming consoles, just search your app store for Apple TV and install it. It is easier to sign up via the website than it is to navigate through the process on devices and it makes signing in a lot easier too so if you have access to a laptop, definitely get yourself set up that way first before logging into the app.

Apple TV Plus shows: What series are on Apple TV Plus?

Photo: Apple TV Plus

The library of original shows keeps on growing for Apple TV Plus. Hits like For All Mankind and Ted Lasso have been well received and will both be back for new seasons – the former starting this month for season two, while new shows on the way include Time Bandits, Losing Earth and The Custom of the Country.

Amazing Stories

Central Park

Defending Jacob

Dickinson

Doug Unplugs Adventure

For All Mankind

Ghostwriter

Home Before Dark Mystery

Little America

Little Voice

Losing Alice

Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet

See

Servant

Snoopy in Space Adventure

Stillwater

Ted Lasso

Tehran

The Morning Show

The Snoopy Show

Truth Be Told

Trying Comedy

Apple TV Plus movies: What has been released and what’s coming up?

On the movie side of things, the recently released Tom Hanks-starring Greyhound was a good example of the type of quality we should expect from Apple TV Plus. And there are many more movies on the way from Tom Holland’s Cherry to Dolly, a courtroom drama that has just cast Florence Pugh as a “companion robot”.

Greyhound

Hala Drama

On the Rocks

Palmer

The Banker Drama

Wolfwalkers

What devices does Apple TV support?

Apple TV Plus is only available in the Apple TV app, which thankfully is available on more than just Apple devices. It’s not quite as accessible as other streaming platforms, but odds are you have several devices in your house that can access Apple TV.

For Apple devices, any iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch with the latest software update can access Apple TV directly through the app, which should be pre-installed. Apple TV set-top boxes that are third-gen or newer are also compatible.

Several other popular streaming devices such as those made by Roku and Amazon are also supported, as are newer smart TVs from some of the most popular brands. On many newer smart TVs, the Apple TV app is already installed, but models from 2018 may need to search for the app and install it manually.

Certain Smart TVs that aren’t compatible with the Apple TV app may still be able to access the service using AirPlay 2. This allows you to share your screen from any Apple device. You can see a list of supported Smart TV model numbers here.

Android devices are notably excluded from the list since the Apple TV app is not available on the Google Play Store. Still, the platform can be accessed on Android devices via the web portal on just about any web browser, just like on Macs and PCs.

You can also set up the Apple TV Plus app on your PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, or Xbox Series S consoles.

Apple TV Plus FAQs

Does Apple TV+ allow simultaneous streaming?

Apple TV+ allows for six simultaneous streams at once, which is more than you’ll get from any other on-demand streaming service on the market. Disney+, for comparison, only allows four simultaneous streams.

Multiple family members with Family Sharing can all stream their own content at once.

How do I change the streaming quality so I don’t burn through my data?

A single episode of an Apple TV+ show like See can use over 2GB of your mobile data. You can prevent Apple’s service from hogging so much data on your iPhone or iPad by going to Settings > TV > iTunes Videos, pressing Wi-Fi or Mobile Data, and then changing the quality setting from “Best Available” to “Good.”

Can you use Family Sharing with Apple TV+?

Yes. Just as with Apple Arcade, a single Apple TV+ subscription can be shared with up to five additional family members.

Each family member has their own watch history and recommendations—it’s as if they had their own individual subscription.

Are all Apple TV+ shows available in 4K?

Yes. Early on, Apple announced that all shows would be available in 4K HDR/Dolby Vision and that “most” shows would have Dolby Atmos sound, but it didn’t say just how good it would be. According to FlatplanelsHD’s Rasmus Larsen, Apple TV+ offers the best 4K streaming quality of any service on the market at the moment. It’s so good, in fact, that the 4K bitrates are better than what you’ll see in some iTunes movies.