Whether you’re stuck in your office eating lunch or trying to pass the time on a rainy day, watching movies from your phone is a great way to keep yourself entertained. If you use an Android smartphone, you'll see a multitude of movie apps out there, but which ones are the best? Here are some of the best free movie download apps for Android.
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Most Popular and Established App: YouTube
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What We Like
Longevity has provided thousands of options.
Familiar and easy interface.
Video replay rarely lags.
What We Don't Like
Too much digging for full-length movies.
Costly subscription for ad-free viewing.
Most of us have heard of YouTube, so this one shouldn’t be a surprise. YouTube now has a paid premium service called YouTube Premium that provides ad-free viewing on regular YouTube plus access to their original programming. However, with some determination and good searching skills, you can find about anything to watch. Be aware that YouTube is diligent in policing pirated content.
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Easiest App for Customization: Pluto TV
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What We Like
Program viewing grid.
Customizable channel favorites.
Live streaming.
What We Don't Like
Quite a few ads during movies.
Not available worldwide.
This app is a channel-based app with over 100 channels for anyone's taste, including new movies and sports channels. Its interface looks like the familiar TV programming grid we're all used to, which makes finding streaming programs easier. Signing up provides the ability to customize your channels. Pluto TV is a bit unique as it has both live streaming and on-demand programming.
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Best Documentaries and Intellectual Viewing: CuriosityStream
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What We Like
Available on numerous platforms.
Handy watchlist to save programs.
The Collections allow you to find series of programs easily.
What We Don't Like
You must subscribe for the full library.
The search tool could be better.
If you love to be mentally stimulated while also being entertained, CuriosityStream is perhaps the best place to start watching.While the free viewing library isn't large, the paid plan is inexpensive.
The app is available on several platforms besides Android and is also available on several smart TVs. The app has several categories to find the topic you want to learn about. It also has a customizable watchlist, so you can save programs you'd like to watch later.
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Largest Add-ons and Customization Options: Kodi
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What We Like
Thousands of movies and TV programs.
Easy to use interface.
What We Don't Like
Potential piracy and scams from third party add-ons.
Occasional crashes.
While Kodi is an interface that requires additional add-ons for movies and TV, it's still a popular app for viewing streaming content. The beauty of Kodi is the options for video streaming are nearly endless. The main thing to watch for is add-ons with pirated content. If you choose to use one of these add-ons, make sure you use some sort of VPN for your protection.
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Best Rotten Tomato Reviews Integration: Tubi
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What We Like
Thousands of movies.
Dozens of categories.
"Highly Rated on Rotten Tomatoes" category.
Some British programming.
Free with ad support.
What We Don't Like
Doesn't have recently released films and programs.
Ads can get annoying.
Founded in 2014, Tubi is a completely free movie streaming service that's supported by ads and has thousands of titles. To help locate what you want to watch, Tubi has dozens of genres, including a handy "Highly Rated on Rotten Tomatoes" category if you follow the movie ratings there.
If you use multiple devices for streaming, Tubi is supported on Android, iOS, Roku, AppleTV, and Amazon Fire TV.
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Best App for Movie Suggestions: Sony Crackle
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What We Like
The app is free.
Rate the movies you've watched.
Gives movie suggestions related to the movies you've watched.
What We Don't Like
The ads can be annoying and intrusive.
Can't pause without having to re-watch commercials.
A movie and TV app from Sony, Crackle provides a simple interface with tons of movies and television programs. Since the service is free, there are ads. At times, they can get annoying, but the quality of licensed content from mainstream media companies makes Crackle a credible contender.
As with several of the best movie apps, Crackle comes on many platforms besides Android. A couple of nice features include the ability to rate movies with a thumbs up or thumbs down and other programming suggestions. Depending on what you're looking at, Crackle will make suggestions for what to watch next.
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Best Anime App: Crunchyroll
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What We Like
Thousands of anime episodes.
Create a queue for your viewing list.
Has a viewing history.
Does not require a paid subscription.
Available on Android, iOS, Windows, Xbox One, and PlayStation.
What We Don't Like
The most recent update has been hanging up on Android devices on occasion.
Too many ads.
If you're a fan of anime, Crunchyroll is a must-have app for your Android device. The developer promises over 25,000 episodes and more than 15,000 hours of the latest anime available. If you choose to subscribe to their premium services, you'll have access to the newest anime episodes immediately after they've aired in Japan.
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Best Classic Films App: Old Movies
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What We Like
Nice selection of classic films.
Can remove ads without paying.
Plenty of categories to choose from.
Can do an open text search for titles.
What We Don't Like
Not as large of a selection as other non-classic movie apps.
The website doesn't provide much information or support.
If you're into classic movies, then Old Movies is your go-to movie app, as it offers hundreds of movies made before 1970. While this app has ads, you can remove them by giving the app a good rating. Most of the available movies aren't mainstream favorites, but there are tons of good ones for hours of free entertainment.
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Best Choice for Students: Kanopy
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What We Like
Free for university students and some public library users.
Great for fans of documentaries.
What We Don't Like
Only available in a few countries.
Requires authentication through a university or library.
A unique entry for university students, Kanopy only requires your university and login credentials for authentication. Participating public libraries also provide free access. There are hundreds of documentaries and other educational videos, and they have quite a bit of mainstream programming.
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Best App for Indie Lovers: PopcornFlix
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What We Like
Focus on indie movies and international films.
Discover option to find new movies to view.
What We Don't Like
The free app is supported by ads.
Newer movies are hard to find.
Another free movie app that has a great selection of independent movies is PopcornFlix. Supported by ads, this app also has a fair amount of international films. It's also available on multiple platforms and has a kids version with social media sharing and commentary.
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Best App for Independent and Short Stories: Vimeo
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What We Like
Free to join.
Lots of creative videos to stream.
No in-video ads.
Ability to download videos.
Can follow video creators.
What We Don't Like
No commercially made movies.
The app doesn't work as well as the website.
Often seen as YouTube's younger sibling, Vimeo hosts more than homebrewed videos made by your buddies. For the adventurous, there's quite a collection of unique film shorts and art films, and it's a great place to find budding directors. Like YouTube, you can also upload your own videos, although Vimeo is more for professionals trying to break into the movie business.
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Best Family-Friendly App: Dove Channel
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What We Like
A large number of titles for free.
Family friendly, wholesome entertainment.
Simple movie rating system.
Easy to use interface.
Available on multiple platforms.
What We Don't Like
Have to sign up for free stuff.
The app has ads unless you pay for a membership.
For full access to programming, you must pay a monthly subscription fee.
For family-friendly viewing, you can't go wrong with the Dove Channel. Founded in 2015, this Christian-based service provides hours of entertainment for all family members. They even have their own rating system based on age appropriateness (All ages, 12+, and 18+).
The app is simple to navigate and also has a web version if you want to stream on your computers. They even have the channel on Roku if you have a Roku receiver. While they do have a paid membership, which removes ads and gives you full access to exclusive content, there are a ton of movies available for free.
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