Tomorrow, Apple will finally launch its streaming service, Apple TV Plus. After years of speculation, leaks, and reports all claiming to shed light on the iPhone maker’s upcoming streaming platform, the service will finally launch for all to enjoy.
Luckily, you’re not gonna have to pay a fortune to tune in. Apple says a single $5 bill a month is enough to cover you and the rest of your family. But if you’re anything like me, you probably like stuff for free, especially if companies are offering free stuff themselves.
As odd as it sounds, that’s the case with Apple. As it turns out, there are a few ways to get Apple TV Plus for free, completely legally. There’s even a way to get a bundle with Apple Music, so long as you fit a certain criteria.
Without further ado, here are three ways to get Apple TV Plus for free, right from the start.
Get a free subscription… for a week
When Apple Music launched, Apple gave people a free three-month trial of the service to see if they liked it. That’s one of the most enticing ways to get people to use your service, and it remains Apple’s most valuable free trial offer to this day. You can even still get a free three-month trial if you have yet to sign up.
Unfortunately, Apple isn’t doing the same thing with Apple TV Plus. Instead, it’s giving users a free seven-day trial of the service before they start charging you $4.99 per month. I really don’t know if seven days is enough time to decide whether you like Apple TV Plus, but I guess it might be if you’re just interested in watching the first couple of episodes of one of Apple’s shows.
Regardless, to get Apple TV Plus for free for a week, you’ll want to cancel your subscription the moment you sign up for your free trial. This will prevent Apple from charging you once seven days have gone by, and you’ll still be able to take full advantage of the service in the mean time. There should be a setting in either the Apple TV app or in iTunes to let you manage your subscription.
Buy an Apple device
This method is by far the most expensive way to get Apple TV Plus for free. After all, it requires a minimum investment of $149. That’s how much a baseline Apple TV HD costs.
You see, Apple’s running this promotion where if you buy one of their products in new condition, it’ll give you Apple TV Plus free for one year. Here’s a list of all qualifying products.
- iPhone (starting at $449)
- iPad (starting at $329)
- iPod touch ($199)
- Apple TV (starting at $149)
- MacBook Air (starting at $999)
- MacBook Pro (starting at $1,299)
- iMac (starting at $1,099)
- iMac Pro (starting at $4,999)
- Mac mini (starting at $799)
Clearly, getting Apple TV Plus is just a nice bonus for buying these products, not necessarily a solidified reason to purchase anything I just listed. Still, though, if you’ve wanted to get a new iPhone or iPad, now’s a good time to do so since you get free Apple TV Plus for a year.
Get it free with Apple Music… if you’re a student
This method is the only way you can get a free, lifetime subscription to Apple TV Plus, and it all depends on whether you’re a student and whether you’re already paying for Apple Music.
News broke this week that Apple would begin bundling free Apple TV Plus subscriptions with Apple Music student subscriptions priced at $4.99/month. That means if you’re currently attending school and are paying Apple money each month to stream music, you’ll automatically get access to shows like The Morning Show and See beginning tomorrow. It isn’t clear if you have to activate your subscription or if Apple will do that for you, but I’m sure details will emerge soon.
