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5 Apps That Tell You When and Where Something’s Streaming on TV

These no-cost options free you up from checking Google or your social circle about the latest releases.

Relying on Google or Alexa to let you know when new seasons of shows like Outlander and Yellowstone premiere is fairly common. You probably do the same for streaming new movies like John Wick 4. However, it can be time-consuming to look up upcoming release dates for Netflix, Disney Plus, Max and any other streaming services.

So what’s the best way to hunt for which titles will be available on a streaming platform? Write it on a sticky note? Add it to your phone’s calendar? Use the streaming app’s reminder feature? All these techniques are useful, but there are apps that can do it better.

Here are my suggestions for free apps that help you track streaming TV shows and films you plan to watch, ones you’re already immersed in and titles you may be curious about but need solid recommendations. They can alert you when new episodes are set to drop or remind you where you left off in a show. I should mention that some apps below are integrated with Trakt, a web-based platform that syncs with your PC, phone or home media center, but its native app is still pretty clunky, so we left it off this list. 

Read more: Max: The 34 Absolute Best TV Shows to Watch

TV Time app display with thumbnails for The Boys, Evil, Marvel Studios: Assembled TV Time app display with thumbnails for The Boys, Evil, Marvel Studios: Assembled

Screenshot by Kourtnee Jackson/CNET

TV Time tracks TV shows and movies, pitches recommendations and connects you with fellow fans on social media. The app is available for Android and Apple users and you can sign up for an account using Google, Apple, Twitter, Facebook or email. To get started, choose what shows you’ve watched on which streaming service (or network). Interestingly, when scrolling through Hulu’s selections, only its originals are listed but the app tells you that you can add more later.

With TV Time, you can choose from multiple lineups, including Trending Shows like Ted Lasso, Demon Slayer or Grey’s Anatomy. There are also categories for genres, a «Most Added» section with titles such as You and even a «Most Added Animation Series» row.

Once you lock in your choices, TV Time collates a Watch List and suggests which episodes of your chosen shows you should watch next. There’s a separate tab labeled «Upcoming» that outlines the day and time that new episodes drop. Thanks to TV Time, I now know the exact premiere dates for The Witcher season 3 on Netflix and the new season of Reservation Dogs on Hulu.

The app also prompts you to check off which movies you’ve watched, and the list spans decades, platforms and genres. Once you’ve completed that step, TV Time then asks what movies you want to watch. Here is where you search for specific titles or pick from TV Time’s trending list to add them to a calendar. 

Additionally, you can filter your TV Time display by progress — including what you finished, shows and movies you stopped midway or what you’re currently watching.

justwatch app showing NFL streaming guide justwatch app showing NFL streaming guide

Screenshot by Kourtnee Jackson/CNET

You may already be familiar with JustWatch as an app that curates where a title is streaming, but you can also make a watchlist, track upcoming releases, and watch a show with a single click. Once you open the app, you can select each streaming service you use — including Disney Plus, Crunchyroll and Fubo — to watch shows and films. There are 100-plus providers listed on JustWatch, and the app recently added a streaming guide for sports.

Use the app to search for TV shows and movies or click Discover to go on a scrolling adventure. Narrow your search by platform, genre, year or rating. When you click a show tile, you can tap «Track» to keep up with every episode and season. JustWatch will ask which episodes you’ve watched, and you can check off entire seasons or individual installments. Where this app stands out is when you navigate to «Watch Now» to click a streaming service’s logo, and you’re immediately taken to the show’s landing page to begin watching. Talk about convenience.

Add a title to your watch list, and JustWatch tells you which episode to watch next or you can check off when you’re caught up. It also displays the dates for upcoming episodes.

For sports fans, JustWatch Sports directs you to where you can stream football (NFL and NCAA), basketball (NBA), baseball (MLB), soccer (MLS, Liga MX and all major European leagues), tennis and Formula 1 legally online.

The app also has a personal recommendation feature and displays the price of each streaming platform. You can use JustWatch on a web browser, on Fire TV devices or on iOS and Android mobile devices. Sign up directly on the app or with your Google or Facebook account.

Available on iOS and Android, Hobi is one of the most popular and comprehensive tracking apps out there. When you open it, you can select the shows you plan to watch or have watched, and Hobi indicates where you left off. The titles are added to your watch list. If it’s an old show, Hobi lets you know the series ended but still reminds you which episodes are next for you. The Discover feature highlights trending shows, series returning in the current week, new ones airing for the month, and recommendations across genres and networks, including HBO and Netflix.

In addition to monitoring your watch list and new episode release dates, Hobi provides personal viewing stats on how much TV you’ve watched. It also estimates your favorite genres based on those statistics. The app can be integrated with Trakt.

A screenshot of SeriesGuide listings for Yellowstone, Stranger Things and more A screenshot of SeriesGuide listings for Yellowstone, Stranger Things and more

Screenshot by Kourtnee Jackson/CNET

SeriesGuide is available on Android and Amazon Fire TV, and touts that it has no ads and doesn’t track your personal information.

When you first sign on to SeriesGuide, it gives you the option to block spoilers for show episodes you haven’t watched yet. You can either search for a title or click Discover and scroll through a lengthy list of content. Like Hobi and TV Time, the app lets you know which platform houses the series or movie you’d like to watch or track. It also integrates with Trakt.

Once you select your shows, SeriesGuide provides upcoming or recent release dates and times. For example, the display shows that episode 10 of Succession dropped on Max at 9 p.m. ET on May 28, and Power Book IV season 2 debuts on Starz on Friday, Sept. 1. I’ve been able to glean tracking information for content on Netflix, Disney Plus, Prime Video, Max, Paramount (Yellowstone) and more.

Its movie listings are pulled from TMDB and JustWatch, and you’ll find the release date, run time, cast credits and synopsis on the page. You can add films to your personal watchlist, click on the trailer link or tap the Stream/Purchase option if the digital version is available. 

Among its features, there’s a notification system that alerts you when new episodes are available, a favorites list and a catalog of how many episodes remain unwatched per season. With SeriesGuide, you can click «Skip» and the app will consider an episode watched. The user interface is very easy to navigate, and you can sync alerts to your device’s calendar, rate content or check out your viewing statistics for movies and shows.

Screenshot by Kourtnee Jackson/CNET

Cinetrak allows you to track both TV shows and movies, but you have to set up a Trakt log-in in order to create watch lists. You will see ads at the bottom of the screen, but the interface is clean and intuitive. Under the TV Shows menu, you can find titles under several categories: Genres, Trending, Popular and Top Watched. Click on a series and Cinetrak pulls up general information about the show and the seasons. Tap the plus sign to add a show by title, episode or season. 

The calendar feature allows you to see episodes that have been watched, added to collections or added to your watch lists. Basic access is free, but you can upgrade your account for additional features such as creating «Liked» lists, curated collections or sharing with friends.

Streaming TV tracker apps FAQs

What about privacy concerns?

Take the time to review the privacy notices and settings for each service. JustWatch explains that it collects user data that may be used to target ads based on your movie tastes, while TV Time also uses nonpersonal information for marketing and advertising purposes. With the latter, you’re also able to toggle your personal account settings and set it to private, which prevents nonfollowers from viewing your activity. You can also unlink social media accounts.

Should I pay to upgrade for more tracking perks?

Though some of these apps offer the ability to upgrade, we recommend sticking with the free versions, especially if you just want a basic way to remind yourself of upcoming releases or to track your progress for a show. 

Why didn’t Reelgood make this list?

Reelgood is an excellent platform that enables you to track movies and TV shows that have already been released or those with scheduled arrivals for the current month. However, it doesn’t provide information for the months ahead. JustWatch and TV Time, on the other hand, show the release date for the new season along with an episode count. You can even set a notification for its arrival.

Technologies

Zelle App Is Gone. Use These Alternatives to Send Money Digitally

You still have lots of free ways to send money to friends and family electronically.

If Zelle has been your go-to app for sending money digitally, it’s time to find a new method. The digital payment app shut down on April 1.

That doesn’t mean you can’t use Zelle altogether, however. Zelle has only discontinued its standalone app. You can still send money using Zelle if your bank belongs to the Zelle network. You’ll just need to do it through your bank’s app or website. You also have other services to choose from. Here’s what you need to know about this change and your options moving forward.

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Deals are selected by the CNET Group commerce team, and may be unrelated to this article.

Why the Zelle app is shutting down

When Zelle launched in 2017, only about 60 US financial institutions offered the service by the end of that year. Today, that number exceeds 2,200. As a result, less than 2% of Zelle transactions occur through the standalone app. Zelle has been phasing out the ability to make transactions on its mobile app since October 2024.

«Today, the vast majority of people using Zelle to send money use it through their financial institution’s mobile app or online banking experience, and we believe this is the best place for Zelle transactions to occur,» Zelle said in an October 2024 press release

In December, Zelle was in the spotlight when the Consumer Financial Protected Bureau sued the company and three of the largest US banks for failing to protect consumers from widespread fraud on the peer-to-peer payment network. The lawsuit has since been dropped.

Other ways to send money digitally

You can still use Zelle through your bank’s app or website if it belongs to the Zelle network. You can also switch to another digital payment app, such as:

  • Apple Wallet
  • Cash App
  • PayPal
  • Venmo

Take some basic precautions when using Zelle or any other digital payment service. These apps are a frequent target for scammers, and Chase Bank has started blocking some Zelle payments it believes could be fraudulent. Only send money to people you know and trust, and watch for red flags like an urgent message claiming to be from your bank or an online ad for concert tickets that seem impossibly cheap.


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Marvel Rivals Season 2 Starts Next Week, Devs Drop Big News

Emma Frost and Ultron are joining the Rivals roster in season 2, and developers are upping the pace to one new hero per month starting with season 3.

After surviving the endless night in New York City with the Fantastic Four, Marvel Rivals players are getting invited to the shores of Krakoa for the start of season 2 on April 11. The game dropped the first trailer for the new season, giving us our first official look at the new heroes, and a developer vision video dropped major news about the future of hero releases. 

The trailer features the former foe and sometimes-leader of the X-Men, Emma Frost, inviting people from across Rivals’ various timelines to the mutant nation of Krakoa, where everyone gets dressed up for a fancy gala — even Wolverine puts on a white tux. The event, however, is unceremoniously interrupted when Ultron shows up preaching extermination. 

We also got a look at some of the cosmetics in season 2, though it’s unclear which are from the shop and which might be in the battle pass. In addition to the dressed-up Wolverine, we also got looks at Magik and Psylocke in the traditional X-Men blue and yellow. Nonmutant guests are also getting in on the fun, with fancy attire for heroes like Cap, Widow and Luna Snow. 

New Heroes and balance changes in Marvel Rivals Season 2

Emma Frost joins the roster as a Vanguard. We don’t have detailed information about her abilities yet but expect that information to drop ahead of next week’s season launch. Ultron is coming in the season 2.5 update, which should be in late May. 

Some team-ups are changing in season 2, including three new team-up abilities that were previewed in the newest developer vision video. 

  • Emma Frost allows Magneto and Psylocke to create illusions of themselves.
  • Doctor Strange teams up with Scarlet Witch allowing her to use small portals to seemingly increase her damage output via a rapid-shooting alternate fire.  
  • Cap finally teams up with Bucky, allowing the Winter Soldier to leap to allies.

A few existing team-ups are getting adjustments, with Psylocke, Winter Soldier and Doctor Strange being removed from older team-ups in favor of new ones, and Namor moving from working with Luna’s anchor to Hulk’s to empower his ultimate with gamma energy. Two team-ups are being removed entirely: Magneto can no longer team up with Scarlet Witch, and Thor is no longer anchoring Cap and Storm.

The developers vaguely teased other balance changes, including buffs to Peni, Mister Fantastic and Moon Knight, with Strange trading offensive pressure for more survivability and Rocket getting more utility while Loki and Adam Warlock receive nerfs to their Regeneration Domain and Soul Bond abilities.

Future seasons will be shorter, which means more new heroes

One of the most surprising moments in the developer video was the announcement that, beginning with season 3, seasons will be two months long instead of roughly three. There has been a lot of discussion online about whether Rivals’ pace of new heroes (about eight per year based on three-month seasons) was sustainable. Well, apparently the Rivals devs took that personally and are cranking up that pace to a new hero every month, meaning 12 new heroes per year. 

This feels borderline ludicrous compared with other hero shooters that average about three new heroes per year, or even MOBAs like League of Legends, which has averaged about four new champions per year over the past five years. Rivals benefits from having an overflowing stable of Marvel characters to pull from rather than inventing their own hero concepts, and compared with Overwatch, the developers seem less worried about mechanical overlap in their heroes, as seen with many support ultimates. Still, a new hero every month feels unheard of for a hero shooter.

New Krakoa map and competitive changes

A new Krakoa-themed domination map is being added in season 2, and Yggsgard: Royal Palace (domination) and Tokyo 2099: Shin-Shibuya (convergence) will rotate out of the map pool for ranked modes, though they’ll still be available in quick play and custom games.

The threshold for competitive picks and bans, which currently only happen in diamond-ranked lobbies, will be lowered to gold 3. Players in Eternity or One Above All ranks will only be able to duo queue, instead of queuing with larger groups — a measure that’s likely intended to keep high-level teams from stomping lobbies. 

Speaking of ranks, season 2 will drop everyone by 9 divisions, which is equal to 3 ranks. That means players in Eternity will drop to diamond, and any players at platinum 3 or below will start their climb from bronze 3 again. (AGAIN… AGAIN.)

Rivals developers also announced that individual player performance will be weighted higher when determining competitive progress after a match, meaning if your stats outperform your team’s, you’ll earn more for winning and drop less for losing. This change can help elevate smurfs and other high-skill players in lower-ranked lobbies by getting them into their appropriate ranks faster. However, it can also lead to players stat-farming, instead of playing in a way that is most effective for winning games. Overall, given that Rivals doesn’t use any sort of competitive placement matches, this should be a net positive for the game.

Other announcements

Rivals is adding new skin recolors to certain hero skins and (finally) giving players the option to gift costumes to their friends so they can surprise someone for their birthday, which you definitely did not forget about.  

Missions are changing a bit, with the addition of weekly missions and a redistribution of where battle-pass-progressing chrono tokens are earned. The devs framed this as creating a «smoother expectation» of how to earn chrono tokens, but the surface-level description sounds like they’re just making it harder to earn battle pass progress over the season by tucking away more progress under missions with shorter time limits.

The developer vision update also gave us our first look at the competitive distribution, showing how many Rivals players are in each tier as of season 1.5. 

The Hellfire Gala trailer says season 2 will start on April 11. While it doesn’t give a specific start time, expect the between-seasons maintenance to finish sometime in the middle of the night in the US.

For more on Marvel Rivals, check out which heroes and roles you should play and how to get free skins.

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Nintendo Switch 2 vs. Switch 1: Every Detail Compared

The Nintendo Switch 2’s official specs aren’t too different, but the new console has a lot of upgrades on the original Switch.

The Nintendo Switch 2 may look like its predecessor, but there’s been a lot of changes to its features and under the hood. The new console has «10x the graphics performance» compared to the original Switch, says Nvidia, which built the custom processor powering the Switch 2.  

The Switch 2, with a release date on June 5, is priced at $450 alone or $500 in a bundle with Mario Kart World, the headliner of the console’s launch games. Here’s all the info on how to preorder the Switch 2.

Note that we’re mostly comparing the Switch 2 to the original Switch 1 released in March 2017, because looping in the Switch Lite and Switch OLED gets complicated.

Design

Broadly, the Switch 2 is a larger version of its predecessor, with everything looking slightly inflated: bigger footprint, bigger screen, bigger Joy-Cons. 

Original Switch: The original Switch, with Joy-Cons slotted into the side rails, is a little over 9.4 inches wide, 4 inches tall, a little over half an inch thick and weighs about 10.5 ounces (297 grams). The Joy-Cons slide into place from the top of the device’s sides, while a thin wedge of plastic pops out of the back of the console to serve as a kickstand.

The Switch also came with a dock, which the console could slot into to for recharging and outputting to a TV or large display via HDMI port.  

Switch 2: The new Switch 2 is bigger in every way, but it has the same overall shape and layout as the original. The new Joy-Cons will indeed be held in place on the console magnetically, and connect to the console via pins. The new console also sports a wide U-shaped kickstand that spans almost its entire rear width, which can be moved around to prop up the Switch 2 at a variety of angles. Nintendo says the console has more powerful speakers, which we’re looking forward to testing.

The Switch 2’s dock is largely similar in function though it has rounded edges and an internal fan to cool down the console during long game sessions. More importantly, it can output games in 4K to TVs, but only for select games. 

Joy-Cons

The Joy-Cons were a marvel when they arrived on the first Switch, and while they’re functionally similar in its successor, there have been upgrades in the Switch 2’s controllers.

Original Switch: The Switch Joy-Cons are simple but powerful controllers that slid on and off the console via plastic rails, connecting and recharging via pins on the side. Detach and they become their own micro-controllers, with little shoulder buttons to boot.

Switch 2: The new console’s Joy-Cons are larger to fit the Switch 2, and lock into the side of the console via powerful magnets — there are small inward-facing buttons to the side of ZR and ZL to detach the controllers from the console. The larger-size Joy-Cons have longer L and R outside shoulder buttons, as well as much wider SL and SR internal shoulder buttons, which are accessible when detached from the console. 

And yes, you can use the Switch 2 Joy-Cons as mice by placing their inner edges flat on a surface. During the Nintendo Direct, we saw it being used to control active action games like the wheelchair basketball-simulating DragXDrive and strategy games like Civilization VII. 

Display size

Original Switch: The original Switch has a 6.2-inch LCD screen with 1,280×720-pixel resolution, which was reasonably impressive at launch in 2017 but has been outclassed by newer handhelds with sharper displays. The Switch OLED upgraded this with a larger 7-inch display showing deeper blacks and colors, but no upgrade in resolution. The Switch Lite has a 5.5-inch LCD screen.

Switch 2: Unsurprisingly, the Switch 2’s larger size means a larger display. The new console has a 7.9-inch 1080p LCD screen that can get up to 120Hz refresh rate in handheld mode, or up to 4K when docked and outputting to a TV. 

Why no OLED display? Possibly to save on costs… or possibly to give Nintendo room to release a Switch 2 OLED version down the line.

CPU/GPU

Original Switch: The original Switch runs on an Nvidia custom Tegra X1 processor split into four ARM Cortex A57 CPU cores, and according to Hackaday, there are four extra A53 cores that aren’t used. 

Switch 2: Once again, Nintendo hasn’t released any official info on the Switch 2’s specs, even after the Nintendo Direct reveal stream — and they most the company reveals is that it has a «custom processor made by Nvidia» on the Switch 2’s official specs page. Nvidia confirmed it also has a custom GPU, claiming that the new console has «10x the graphics performance» of the Switch 1, and the custom processor’s AI-powered features include Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS), face tracking and background removal for video chat and real-time ray tracing.

We do still have more supposed details from previous leaks. Months ago on X (formerly Twitter), leaker Zuby_Tech posted that the Switch 2’s CPU will be an eight-core Arm Cortex A78C. They also suggested that the GPU will be an Nvidia T239 Ampere, aligning with years of similar rumors reported on by Eurogamer and others about the custom chip, which derives from Nvidia’s Tegra line of chips for smartphones and mobile devices.

RAM and storage

Original Switch. The Switch has 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM and 32GB of onboard storage, expandable up to 2TB via microSD cards in the slot beneath the kickstand.

Switch 2: Even after the reveal stream, Nintendo didn’t release official specs for RAM. Leaker Zuby_Tech posted on X back in September suggesting the Switch 2 will have 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB of onboard storage. That leak also suggested the new console will have two internal fans, up from the single one in the original Switch. 

Nintendo did confirm that the new console will have 256GB of onboard storage, which can be expanded with special microSD Express cards — sorry, your old Switch-compatible microSD cards won’t work on the Switch 2.

Battery life

Original Switch: The original Switch packs a 4,310-mAh battery, which gives between 4.5 and 9 hours of battery life depending on screen brightness and other factors.

Switch 2: Though Nintendo didn’t release details on the Switch 2’s capacity in the reveal stream, the company does list specs on its website, showing it packs a 5,220mAh battery. While that’s notably larger than the one in its predecessor, Nintendo estimates this will only get players between an estimated 2 and 6.5 hours, depending on games played.   

Ports

Original Switch: The first Switch sports a single USB-C port out the bottom, a 3.5mm headphone jack on the top and Wi-Fi 5 plus Bluetooth 4.1 connectivity. On the top is a slot at the top for Switch game cartridges as well as the microSD slot beneath the kickstand on the rear of the console.

Switch 2: The Switch 2 retains the original’s USB-C port on the bottom and 3.5mm jack on the top while adding another USB-C port topside, and now we know what it’s for: to connect with accessories like the Nintendo Switch Camera, a webcam-like camera on a stand to let you do Nintendo’s version of FaceTiming while you play games with your friends.

Nintendo hasn’t clarified the console’s connectivity options, and rumors are scarce on the subject. 

As for cartridges, Switch 2 will play some original Switch games in physical versions. The cartridge slot is to the right of the headphone jack in the above image, which is where the slot is on the original Switch. You can tell game cartridges from the two console generations apart by color: ones for the new Switch 2 are red, while older Switch 1 games are black.

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