How to watch Netflix, Hulu, HBO Now, and YouTube on Apple TV

By Lory Gil
published

I have never paid for cable television. For years, I survived on broadcast networks and DVDs. With Netflix, Hulu, HBO Now, and YouTube on Apple TV, I am fully satisfied with my TV, movie, and entertainment choices. And, I get to choose when I watch, instead of having to follow a programmed schedule.

If you are a cable cord-cutter, or you just like having the extra streaming services around, Apple TV makes it easy for you to watch the movies and shows you want, when you want.

This post assumes that you already have a subscription to Netflix, Hulu, HBO Now, or a YouTube account.

How to watch Netflix on Apple TV

Netflix offers a huge selection of blockbuster hit movies, as well as entire seasons of popular TV shows at least a year after they are first broadcast. You may be behind on fan favorites like The Walking Dead, but at least you can binge watch an entire season in one night instead of having to wait each week like those cable-subscribing suckers.

  1. Download the Netflix app.
  2. Open the Netflix app on your Home screen.
  3. Select Sign In.

  1. Sign in with your Netflix username and password.
  2. Select Who's Watching.

  1. Choose a title.
  2. When you choose a title, you can read a synopsis of the movie or TV show.
  3. Select Play.

  1. Select Add to My List to save a movie or TV show to watch at a later time.
  2. When you are done watching a movie or TV show, give it a Star Rating.
  3. Select Remove from My List to remove a title from your watchlist.

The My List section will be amongst the content, four rows down, under Trending Now.

The more you watch content and add titles to your Watch List, the more the Netflix app will recommend new movies and TV shows that you may like.

When you rate a title, Netflix will show you more or less content based on that rating.

How to watch Hulu on Apple TV

Hulu is my go-to Apple TV app for watching current, timely shows like The Daily Show and The Nightly Show, both of which would just be weird to watch a year after they premiered. You can also stay up-to-date on plenty of broadcast and cable shows, like Empire and Saturday Night Live. Shows update on Hulu one day after they originally air on their networks.

  1. Download the Hulu app.
  2. Open the Hulu app on your Home screen.
  3. Select Already a User? Log In.

  1. Sign in with your Hulu username and password.
  2. Choose a title.
  3. When you choose a title, you can read a synopsis of the movie or TV show.

  1. Select Play.
  2. Select Add to Watchlist to save a movie or TV show to watch at a later time.

  1. Select You May Also Like to see other titles Hulu recommends based on the type of movie or show you are viewing.
  2. Select Remove Show or Remove Video to remove a title from your Watchlist.

You can turn auto play on or off in the settings section.

  1. Select the top row of content, which includes TV, Movies, Switch to no Commercials, etc.
  2. Swipe to the right and select Account at the end of the list.
  3. Select Autoplay. This will turn the feature on or off.

How to watch HBO Now on Apple TV

Finally! You don't have to have a cable subscription to be able to watch shows and movies on HBO. HBO Now is exactly like HBO GO with all of the same content, but you don't have to be a cable subscriber to access the service. Instead, you can pay $14.99 per month just for HBO's full selection of TV shows and movies.

  1. Download the HBO Now app.
  2. Open the HBO Now app on your Home screen.
  3. Select Sign In.If you signed up for HBO Now through Apple TV, log in using iTunes: Restore Purchase.

  1. Sign in with your username and password.
  2. Swipe down to select a category.
  3. Swipe down again to select a subcategory.

  1. Swipe to the right to access content within a subcategory.
  2. To return to the HBO Now menu, select the Menu button on the Siri Remote, which is the top button on the left side of the face of the remote with the word "menu" on it.
  3. Choose a title.
  4. When you choose a title, you can read a synopsis of the movie or TV show.
  5. Select Play.

  1. Select Add to Watchlist to save a movie or TV show to watch at a later time.
  2. Select Preview to watch a trailer.

  1. Select Remove from Watchlist to remove a title from your Watchlist.
  2. Select Watchlist from the HBO Now menu to view movies and TV shows you have saved.

How to watch YouTube on Apple TV

YouTube has millions of cat videos, home movies, fan films, and more. But, it also has hundreds, even thousands, of movies and TV shows, many of which aren't available on any of the streaming media services available.

  1. Download the YouTube app.
  2. Open the YouTube app on your Home screen.
  3. Swipe to the right to select Settings.

  1. Swipe down to select Sign In.
  2. Visit YouTube.com/activate on a tablet, smartphone or computer and enter the provided code.

  1. Swipe to the left to access your My YouTube section, which shows your created and saved playlists, recent watch history, uploads, and more.
  2. Swipe to the left again to access your Subscriptions, which also includes recommended channels.
  3. Swipe to the left again to access the Home page, which shows recommend videos, channels, and uploads, and where you can access trending content and videos based on categories, like gaming, movies, news, and more.

Any Questions?

Are you having trouble accessing or playing content from Netflix, Hulu, HBO Now, or YouTube? If so, let us know in the comments and we'll help you troubleshoot.

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Lory Gil
Lory Gil

Lory is a renaissance woman, writing news, reviews, and how-to guides for iMore. She also fancies herself a bit of a rock star in her town and spends too much time reading comic books.  If she's not typing away at her keyboard, you can probably find her at Disneyland or watching Star Wars (or both).

19 Comments
  • How to watch ___
    Go to App Store
    Done Was this thread really needed?
  • Who needs a how to guide for this?
  • My mom. Thanks. Sent from the iMore App
  • Perhaps. But I've found that those who don't know (or can't figure out) the above also would never go here and follow directions either.
  • Good point. Sent from the iMore App
  • The quantity and simplicity of how-to guides on this site... it's getting ridiculous Mobile Nations. Sent from the iMore App
  • This wasn't for you. Don't read it. Sent from the iMore App
  • We'd love to hear from you about more complex issues you might be having with your Apple products. Please feel free to let us know about any issues you are having with your devices and we'll tackle it in a future post.
  • Next up, Rene, with - how to fasten the Apple Watch to your wrist Sent from the iMore App
  • These how-to guides have gotten out of hand. They are really starting to phone it in now. This is just dumb. Sent from the iMore App
  • Thanks for your feedback. We look forward to publishing content that is more useful to you. But, in the meantime, here's a reminder of why we have been posting a lot of basic how-to guides lately. http://www.imore.com/welcome-imore-2016 And, if you have any issues with your Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, or Apple TV, please feel free to let us know and we'll troubleshoot the problem for you. If you are having an issue, it is likely that someone else is, too.
  • Question is there a way WITH NO WIFI to put on tv screen what I'm watching on iPhone 6 Plus. I have Netflix and HBO with unlimited data but no wifi at home . Is there a way to screen cast onto a Samsung TV? Sent from the iMore App
  • Airplay it to an Apple TV connected to the Samsung TV. No wifi required since iOS 8. Sent from the iMore App
  • Not sure if video works that way. Wouldn't be optimal if it did. Easiest solution is to just get a wifi router since this is at home. There's also the lightning cable to hdmi solution as well.
  • Video works just fine with AirPlay on Apple TV when you mirror your device to the set-top box. Unfortunately, AirPlay only works when both devices are on the same Wi-Fi network.
  • You'll need a Lightning Digital AV adapter and an HDMI cable. You can connect your iPhone to your TV directly and stream content.
  • For free? Sent from the iMore App
  • Yes, for free.
  • youtube on my tv gives me error message when accessing you tube to watch a program.