If you have a Vizio TV, you may have some experience with Vizio’s WatchFree Plus offering and fleet of free streaming channels.
Previously exclusive to smart TVs, the free, ad-supported service has now been incorporated by Vizio into its mobile app for iOS and Android devices. You can now access more than 300 live channels in the app, including sports, news, local, entertainment and kids options, Vizio said Thursday.
Though the channels are available to free-TV fans in the US with or without a Vizio device, you must create an account to watch. You’ll also need to download the Vizio app on your phone — usually, Vizio’s free streaming service is built in to TVs.
Vizio’s WatchFree Plus is among a legion of services providing free, ad-supported television, or FAST, content. Tubi and Pluto TV are examples, but you can sift through more options using our best list.
Navigating to a WatchFree Plus tab on an iPhone, I saw a continuously playing channel at the top that could be switched but not paused. I could quickly jump between channel categories like “news and opinion,” “game shows” and “nature and science,” as well as favorite channels, by swiping right on them.
According to Vizio, the phone app already allowed users to control Vizio TVs and soundbars. Users can also launch apps like Netflix and YouTube to their Vizio TV from a Home tab.
