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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

A New Threads Feature Saves You From Seeing and Posting Spoilers: Here’s How It Works

Didn’t want to see that plot twist? Marvel and Netflix were the first to try out Threads’ new spoiler-blocking feature.

Social media can accidentally spoil a streaming movie or show for those who haven’t yet watched it. Threads, the popular social media platform from Meta, now has a new feature that could save you from spoiling your next watch.

The new feature allows users to mark media and text posts as spoilers. If it’s a photo, the spoiler will then appear blurred in feeds, and text will be grayed out. Clicking on both types makes the spoiler visible. Netflix and Marvel are the first major studios to use the feature on their posts. Meta says the feature is rolling out globally, but we saw it available on Friday.

Speaking of spoilers, you may want to stop reading now if you’re not logged in to Threads, the embedded plot-spoiling posts in this story may not be blurred.

Netflix posted a photo from one of the last scenes of Squid Game’s third and final season, with the caption «do not tap until you’ve finished Squid Game 3.»

Marvel teased the villain in the new Ironheart series in a post. You won’t meet the villain until the last episode. You can stream Ironheart on Disney Plus.

We Were Liars on Prime also added a post that uses the new Threads spoiler text feature. 

We’ve seen several other updates from Threads this year, including the ability to copy images, thus replacing the need to screenshot. Threads also only recently started testing direct messaging, despite the app being out for around two years.

How to use the spoiler feature on Threads

Anyone can use the spoiler feature on their posts. All you have to do is highlight what you want to hide, tap and select «mark spoiler.» That will blur the text or image you selected for others.

This feature doesn’t mean you won’t see posts about your favorite pop culture and entertainment topics. It lets you choose when you’re ready to know more. All it takes is a tap. 

However, it’s worth pointing out that it’s up to those who make the post to decide if they mark something as a spoiler. So spoilers could abound until most people adopt the feature. Even still, it’s good to see a feature that allows you to stay in the loop without spoiling major plot points along the way.

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Someone Help Me — I Also Need These Sonic the Hedgehog Magic: The Gathering Cards

Sega’s superspeedster is getting some genuinely awesome cards in a limited drop next month.

Magic: The Gathering hit a goldmine earlier this month when it released its Final Fantasy set based on one of the most popular video game franchises of all time. Final Fantasy was reportedly the best-selling Magic set before it even released, thanks to extensive preorders. Now Wizards of the Coast is hoping to repeat that success with Secret Lair drops themed around video game icon Sonic the Hedgehog, launching Monday, July 14.

Depending on which century you were born in, you’ll either recognize Sonic as the star of 1991’s Sega Genesis video game Sonic the Hedgehog, or as the star of Paramount Pictures’ Sonic the Hedgehog movies. (Or maybe you know him from Smash Bros. or Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games, or any of the countless other places he shows up.) Now he’s joining the storied Magic: The Gathering card game in a year where Magic is aggressively investing in crossovers with other properties.

Those crossovers started years ago with The Walking Dead, which became an official Magic series called Universes Beyond when it released a Secret Lair drop for Stranger Things. We’ve gotten Magic cards for everything from Street Fighter to Lord of the Rings, The Evil Dead, Jurassic Park and even SpongeBob. Lord of the Rings was the first full Universes Beyond set, but it set the table for Final Fantasy last month, and we’re getting full sets for both Spider-Man and Avatar: The Last Airbender later this year.

The new Sonic Magic: The Gathering cards are different from the game’s Final Fantasy set because these are Secret Lair products — limited-run drops of a handful of cards, rather than a full set of hundreds of Standard-legal cards. Like many Secret Lair crossover products, they seem aimed at the casual multiplayer Commander format that lets you build decks around your favorite characters and play with a group of friends. 

Sonic being a legendary creature with white mana, blue mana and red mana in his color identity, means that a Sonic Commander deck allows you to include his allies Tails, Knuckles and Amy Rose in the deck. Shadow costs red and black mana, which means he doesn’t fit in a Sonic Commander deck, but he would fit in a Dr. Eggman deck.

And, gang, these cards are kinda wild. Whenever Sonic attacks, he puts power-increasing counters on other creatures with flash or haste, which not-so-coincidentally includes all of the aforementioned allies that fit in his deck. And Sonic having the haste ability himself means he can attack the same turn you cast him, virtually guaranteeing one activation. Tails can draw cards when flying vehicles enter — a nice nod to his plane, which first showed up in the late stages of Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Knuckles has a lot going on, including the ability to create treasure tokens that can help you cast spells — or just outright win the game if you have enough while he’s on the battlefield. 

There’s also some mechanical synergy between these cards and the new Final Fantasy cards. Amy Rose automatically attaches equipment when she attacks and then can buff the power of other creatures, making her a great fit for the Limit Break Commander deck led by Cloud (or Tifa), which cares about equipment and power stats! 

Similarly, Dr. Eggman gets to draw cards at the beginning of your end step — if you also control Y’Shtola Rhul, you get an extra end step, allowing you to draw two cards instead of one for the low, low cost of ending your turn. 

All of that adds up to mechanically fun Magic cards that feature a lifelong favorite character for me. And it’ll add up financially if I can get my hands on either the foil Sonic: Friends & Foes collection ($40) or the non-foil collection ($30), the cards in which are less likely to warp from the foil treatment.

There are two other Sonic Secret Lair drops announced, including one that focuses on reprinted artifacts like vehicles and equipment and another that rounds up existing cards that synergize with the new cards. Both will be available in $40 foil or $30 non-foil versions. All three Secret Lair sets go on sale Monday, July 14, at noon ET/9 a.m. ET. 

When they do, and I cannot stress this enough, you gotta go fast to get ’em. 

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Steam Summer Sale: Snag 4 Major Borderlands Games for Under $25 Before Borderlands 4

This is an amazingly cheap way to get caught up before the new game launches in September.

If you want to catch up on the Borderlands series before Borderlands 4 comes out on Sept. 12, you won’t find a better opportunity than this. Every mainline Borderlands game is steeply discounted for Steam’s Summer sale, with many of them in the single digits. 

You can currently get Borderlands Game of the Year Enhanced, Borderlands 2, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel and Borderlands 3 for a grand total of $22. The first game represents about half that cost, so if you’ve already played that one or want to skip it, you can get the other three for just $12. Various downloadable content is also on sale, if you want to add to the base games.

This is an absolute steal. Borderlands 2 is one of my all-time favorite first-person-shooter games, and despite being more than a decade old, it’s worth about $20 just on its own. For me, it’s the pinnacle (so far) of the series’ hero designs and enemy encounters — for my money, Zer0, Gunzerker and Gaige are three of the most fun vault hunters the series has ever made. And the True Vault Hunter Mode and Ultimate Vault Hunter Modes (the new game plus modes) really add a lot of replay value by ratcheting up the strategy through the increased importance of matching your elemental weapons to the right enemy health type — think type matchups in Pokemon, except with guns.

What I particularly love about the Borderlands series is the customization it offers. The games give you at least four vault hunter classes to choose from, and those classes offer additional options via skill trees that let you adjust the way your vault hunter plays. For instance, Zer0 has options for sniping, stealth or melee. Add in different gun manufacturers whose weapons all have a different feel, plus different categories of guns — pistols, submachine guns, sniper rifles, etc. — and elemental weapon types on top of that, and you end up with a veritable treasure trove of ways to tune your vault hunter’s gameplay. 

Also, you can throw grenades that explode money. I almost crashed Borderlands 3 because I was exploding so much money.

The original Borderlands established the formula and some of the regular elements, like soldier and siren classes as well as vending machines for gear and health. It also established some of the recurring characters, like de facto mascot Moxxi. Borderlands 2 refined that formula and introduced an amazing villain who added more narrative depth. The Pre-Sequel shook things up by taking us to space and giving us laser weapons. Borderlands 3 took a step back in terms of narrative and characters, but it added some nice mechanical polish, like being able to mantle up ledges or slide into barrels to send them flying into enemies. 

All four of those games will take you about 100 hours total to beat if you stick to the main quests, or closer to 200 hours if you’re the type to get sidetracked occasionally. Pro tip: Talk, finagle or blackmail some friends into playing with you. The games are significantly more fun with other players. 

For the complete Borderlands experience, you can also tack on the Dungeons & Dragons-inspired spinoff game Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands for $12 and Tales from the Borderlands, an acclaimed narrative choices game, for $15. 

With Borderlands 4 coming out in just a few months, you’re not going to get a better chance to start or add to your collection. Catch a riiide, vault hunters. 

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