BBC iPlayer 5.76.0

BBC iPlayer is the BBC's own free app for watching its TV channels live and catching up on programmes you missed, with no adverts and no subscription.

This page has the latest Android APK, version 5.76.0, for phones and tablets running Android 12L or newer.

It only plays inside the UK, and you need a TV Licence and a free BBC account to use it.

What BBC iPlayer Actually Does

The app gives you the BBC's live channels plus a large on-demand library of drama, comedy, documentaries, sport, news and children's shows. Most programmes stay available for around 30 days after they air, and many box sets stay much longer.

• Live TV: watch BBC One, BBC Two and the other BBC channels as they broadcast, including regional versions.
• Catch-up and box sets: pick up recent episodes or binge whole series from the archive.
• Downloads: save programmes to your phone and watch them offline on a train or a plane. A download expires when the programme leaves iPlayer.
• Chromecast: send what you are watching from your phone to a TV with a Chromecast or Google TV built in.
• Picture-in-picture: keep a small video window floating while you use other apps.
• One BBC sign-in: the same BBC account works across the BBC Sounds, News, Sport and Weather apps.

Who Can Use It (and the TV Licence Question)

iPlayer is built for people living in the UK, and it checks where you are when you press play. Outside the UK, programmes simply will not start.

By law you need a TV Licence to watch or download anything on iPlayer, live or on demand, on any device. The app asks you to confirm you have one, and that confirmation is a legal declaration rather than a box to tick.

You also need a free BBC account, which asks for a UK postcode when you sign up. The BBC's terms specifically rule out using a VPN to watch from abroad, and the player blocks streams it thinks come through one.

What You Need on Your Phone

Version 5.76.0 needs Android 12L (API level 32) or newer and a touchscreen. If your phone runs Android 11 or older, the APK will refuse to install, and Google Play will not offer the update either.

The file is a single universal APK of about 25.5 MB that works on every processor type. It is signed by the BBC, and you can confirm that yourself with our free APK Checker before you install.

How to Install the APK

If Google Play works on your phone, installing from there is the easiest option because updates arrive automatically. The APK here has no Play licence check, and our Play Check tool can confirm that any APK will launch without the Play Store.

• Download the APK from this page to your phone.
• Allow the install: Android will ask you to let your browser or file manager install unknown apps. Say yes for that app only.
• Tap the file in your Downloads folder and choose Install.
• Sign in with your BBC account, or create one, and confirm your TV Licence.

Never downloaded an app outside the Play Store before? Our guide on how to install an APK safely on Android walks through the security prompts. If Play shows a "Get this app from Play" message instead, see how to fix the Get this app from Play error.

Android TV and Google TV Boxes Are a Different Story

This APK is the phone and tablet app, and it needs a touchscreen. Smart TVs and streaming boxes use a separate BBC iPlayer app built for a remote control.

Since 30 September 2026, the TV version of iPlayer only works on Google-certified Android TV and Google TV devices. Cheap uncertified boxes lost access, and sideloading the app does not get around the check.

If you have a certified device such as a Google TV streamer, install iPlayer from the Play Store on the TV itself. On a Fire TV Stick, the Downloader app is handy for other sideloads, but get iPlayer from the Amazon Appstore.

Watching BBC Shows on a PC

The BBC closed its iPlayer Downloads app for Windows and Mac in April 2024, so computers can now only stream iPlayer in a web browser. Offline downloads are a phone and tablet feature only.

Some people use the free, open-source get_iplayer tool to save programmes on a computer instead. It is not made by the BBC, and the same UK and TV Licence rules still apply.

Who Should Look Elsewhere

If you live outside the UK, iPlayer is not for you. Free, legal, ad-supported apps like Tubi TV and Pluto TV work in many more countries.

If you mainly want to play your own video files, iPlayer cannot open them. A dedicated player such as VLC for Android or mpv for Android handles MKV, MP4 and almost everything else.

For a home media centre that pulls your library and streaming add-ons into one place, look at Kodi for Android.

You can compare more options in our guide to the best video player for Android TV or browse all our Android apps.

Technical Specs

Quick questions

Grab the latest version from the BBC iPlayer download page, and once you have it running, tell us what you think in a review.