Apple TV Just Added These ‘Classic’ Movies to Its Catalog for Free

2026/08/13

Categories: lifestyle

Jake Peterson

Jake Peterson

Senior Technology Editor

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Jake Peterson is Lifehacker’s Tech Editor, and has been covering tech news and how-tos for nearly a decade. His team covers all things technology, including AI, smartphones, computers, game consoles, and subscriptions.

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August 13, 2026

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Key Takeaways

  1. Apple just added 19 "classic" movies to its Apple TV platform for free.
  2. The movies run the gamut, spanning classics from the 80s through the 2010s.
  3. Apple has licensed movies like this in the past, but the promotion didn't last long.

Table of Contents

Over the past seven years, Apple TV has slowly become the streaming service to beat. The platform now has a plethora of must-see TV programs, from buzzy hits like Ted Lasso, Severance, and Shrinking to strong sci-fi fare like Foundation and Silo—not to mention Apple Original movies, including Killers of the Flower Moon, F1, and Coda. While the streaming service isn't the first platform that comes to mind for non-Apple content, it does occasionally license shows and movies in addition to its own original programming—including, notably, those old Peanuts specials—and as of today, that licensed catalog just got a bit bigger.

As spotted by 9to5Mac, Apple TV has added 19 movies to its catalog that subscribers can watch for free, without paying a separate rental fee. The selection runs the gamut, featuring films from the 80s, 90s, 2000s, and 2010s and spanning genres and subject matter. Though not all of these movies are exactly awards material, a number of them are considered classics in their own right, from older hits like E.T. and Titanic to recently lauded movies like Arrival. Each of them is free to watch with any Apple TV subscription, and you can find them in the platform's "Great Movies Available Now on Apple TV" section.

Apple TV now lets you watch the following movies for free

Here is the complete list of all the movies Apple TV just added to its catalog for free:21 Jump Street

What do you think so far?

It's unclear how long these movies will remain on Apple TV, or whether Apple plans to add more movies to the mix in the future. As 9to5Mac highlights, it's not the first time Apple has licensed movies in this way, though it has been several years, and previously, Apple has removed the offerings from the platform in short order. All of these movies are available to rent or buy through Apple's digital store too, so if you miss out on the window, you can always pay a rental fee to view them.

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