The UK and the US both have good free TV apps, but they work in completely different ways - and almost none of them work in the other country.
In the UK, free TV mostly means the broadcasters' own apps - BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 4 and 5.
In the US, it means free ad-supported services like Tubi, Pluto TV and The Roku Channel, which look a lot like old cable TV.
Below is what each one is good for, what it costs you in ads or licences, and how to get it onto an Android phone or TV box.
In the UK, start with BBC iPlayer for drama and documentaries, then add ITVX and Channel 4.
In the US, start with Tubi TV for films on demand and Pluto TV for live channel surfing.
What "Free" Means in Each Country
UK broadcaster apps are free to install, but the law still applies to them. You need a TV Licence to watch anything on BBC iPlayer, and to watch live TV on any channel's app.
On-demand catch-up on ITVX, Channel 4 and 5 does not need a licence, because those apps are paid for by adverts. All of them ask for a free account with a UK postcode.
US free apps are a different model, usually called FAST - free ad-supported TV. You get hundreds of themed channels plus films on demand, with ad breaks, and most let you start watching without even signing up.
The Free UK TV Apps
| App | Best for | The catch |
|---|---|---|
| BBC iPlayer | Drama, documentaries, news, kids' shows, live BBC channels | TV Licence needed for everything; no adverts |
| ITVX | Soaps, crime drama, reality shows, live ITV | Adverts on the free tier; a paid Premium tier removes them |
| Channel 4 | Comedy, documentaries, Film4 films, international drama | Adverts; formerly called All 4 |
| 5 | Reality, true crime, factual shows, US box sets | Adverts; formerly called My5 |
| U | Comedy repeats and shows from Dave, Drama and Yesterday | Adverts; its shows now also play inside the Channel 4 app |
If you only install two, make them iPlayer and Channel 4. Since January 2026 the Channel 4 app also carries U's catalogue, so it covers two services in one.
Our BBC iPlayer APK page explains the Android 12L requirement and the TV Licence rules in more detail.
The Free US TV Apps
| App | Best for | The catch |
|---|---|---|
| Tubi | The biggest free film and TV library on demand | Adverts; newer hits arrive late |
| Pluto TV | Live channel surfing with a TV guide, no sign-up | Adverts; channels play live, so no rewinding |
| The Roku Channel | Roku originals plus live channels | Best on Roku, but also runs on Android and Fire TV |
| PBS | Documentaries, Masterpiece drama, local PBS station | The full back catalogue needs a PBS Passport donation |
| Samsung TV Plus | Hundreds of free live channels, built into the TV | Samsung TVs and Galaxy phones only |
| Plex | Free channels and films alongside your own media library | Free account required |
None of these carry your local ABC, CBS, NBC or Fox station live. For that, a cheap indoor aerial is still the free option.
Two names you may remember have gone. Amazon Freevee closed in 2025 and its free shows moved into Prime Video, and Crackle has been offline since its owner went bankrupt.
Which Ones Work in Both Countries
Tubi and Pluto TV both run UK versions as well, so they are the closest thing to a free app that crosses the Atlantic. The catalogue changes by country, so a film you saw on the US version may not be on the UK one.
Everything else is locked to its home country. The BBC, ITV and the US networks all block streams from abroad, and using a VPN to get around that breaks their terms of use.
Travelling?
Download programmes in the iPlayer app before you leave the UK. Downloads keep playing abroad until the programme's availability ends.
Getting Them on an Android Phone or TV Box
Install from Google Play when you can, because updates then arrive on their own. If an app is not offered on your device, an APK is the fallback, and our free APK Checker shows who signed the file before you install it.
Some apps refuse to open unless they were installed from Play. Our Play Check tool spots that in a file before you waste time on it.
- First APK? Read how to install an APK safely on Android before you switch on unknown sources.
- Got an XAPK file? Those are bundles, and this XAPK guide shows how to install one.
- Cheap Android TV box? Since 30 September 2026, iPlayer only works on Google-certified boxes such as a Google TV streamer, and sideloading does not get around it.
- Fire TV Stick? Get these apps from the Amazon Appstore, and use the Downloader app for other sideloads on older sticks.
Be careful with very cheap no-name boxes in general. Our report on the Android TV box malware that hit 1.3 million devices shows how to check yours.
The newest Fire TV Stick 4K is a special case, because it no longer allows sideloading. Our news piece on which Fire TV sticks can still sideload covers it.
Who Should Look Elsewhere
If you want to play your own video files, these apps cannot open them. Use a proper player such as VLC for Android or mpv for Android.
For a whole film and TV library on a TV box, Kodi for Android is the free media centre to look at.
If you mainly want free live channels in a single player, legal M3U playlists do that. Our free USA IPTV playlist and free popular IPTV playlist collect lists that load cleanly.
To play one of those lists on a computer, follow how to play an M3U playlist in VLC. And if someone offers every UK and US channel for a few pounds a month, read is IPTV legal first.
Quick questions
Do I need a TV Licence for ITVX or Channel 4?
Only to watch live TV in those apps. Catching up on demand on ITVX, Channel 4 or 5 does not need a licence, but anything on BBC iPlayer does.
Which free US app has the most films?
Tubi has the biggest free on-demand library. Pluto TV is better if you prefer flicking through live channels.
Can I watch UK TV apps in the US, or US apps in the UK?
Not officially, apart from Tubi and Pluto TV, which have their own versions in both countries. The others block streams from outside their home country.
Do these apps work on Android TV?
Yes, all the big ones have TV versions in the Play Store. iPlayer now only works on Google-certified Android TV and Google TV devices.
Are free TV apps safe to install as APKs?
They are when the file is the genuine signed app. Check the signature with an APK checker first, and never install "modded" versions that promise to remove adverts.
Free TV is not dead - in the UK it lives in the broadcasters' apps, and in the US it looks like cable used to, only without the bill.
Start with BBC iPlayer in the UK or Tubi in the US, or tell us which free app you use and what it is missing.
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