Best Free Movie Apps to Cast on Roku
Roku has sold millions of devices worldwide and has become well known not just for the quality but also the closed nature of their proprietary operating system. Luckily if you have a phone handy there’s an easy way to stream anything you want on your Roku.
In this guide, we quickly look at what Roku is, and why you can’t just download any app onto Roku. Then we get into the solutions and understand how we can use screencasting to cast almost any app from our iPhone or Android phone.
What is Roku?
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Roku was released by serial entrepreneur Anthony Wood, and the name simply comes from the Japanese number for “six” as this was the sixth company he had started.
Roku is a streaming device that plugs straight into your TV and allows you to access online content from most major providers from the comfort of one device.
Started in 2002, the company released it’s first product in 2008 and has grown to over 30 million active accounts.
Why Can’t I Download The Apps Straight Onto Roku?
Roku has been coded using its own proprietary Operating System, which effectively makes Roku a closed system.
There are almost no third-party apps allowed on the system, which has thrived because of its closed nature.
Luckily you can screencast onto Roku, which makes it possible to get around the restrictions.
What Is Screen Casting?
One of the few compatible third-party applications you can use with Roku is screencasting. In this guide, we are going to use All Cast which is free to download from the Android or iOS store, or can be bought for $3.99 if you want to get rid of the ads.
This is a good point to tell you that jailbreaking a Roku isn’t possible. Because Roku has it’s own custom operating system.
So, the applications won’t work on Roku as most tend to be coded for Android, with a few for iOS.
Screencasting simply means you download the apps on your phone, then screencast using All Cast onto your Roku device letting you watch any apps you want on your TV.
Using Your Phone With Roku
For this you’re going to need a phone, we’re going to deal with the best applications for Android and then iOS.
If you want the broadest possible access to the best apps for free TV you are best off using an Android phone, even a cheap phone for a $100 will work well for our purpose.
You’ll also need to make sure that your Roku is discoverable and have a minimum of Android 5.0 installed on your phone.
We’re going to cover both Android and iOS
YOUR INTERNET ACTIVITY IS BEING WATCHED
ReviewVPN cannot attest to the legality, security and privacy of the applications discussed on this site. It is highly recommended that you use a VPN service while streaming or using Kodi.
Currently, your IP 18.97.14.83 is visible to everyone and your Browser is being tracked by Advertisers & ISP Provider.
Here are the main reasons why you must use a VPN:
- Your activities are hidden from your ISP, the government, and from the apps you are using.
- You can access additional movies and TV streams.
- ISP attempts to throttle are thrwarted thus reducing buffering issues.
- Geographically restricted content like Netflix and Hulu can be unblocked.
A VPN works be replacing your ISP-assigned IP address and creating an encrypted tunnel. We recommend the no log service offered by IPVanish. It works well on a Firestick and offers the fastest possible speeds.
Android
So, before we get started, you’re going to need to download two applications to get up and running on your Android phone.
Both can be found on the Google Play Store.
Firstly, get All Cast. This a great multi-purpose casting application. We recommend you buy the app for the $3.99 because you can get rid of the annoying popup ads which could ruin your viewing experience.
Next, you have a choice. Many free TV streaming apps aren’t allowed in the Google Play Store.
You can either download APK Time which has a constantly updated list of free TV streaming apps, or alternatively, you can use an alternative Android store like Aptoide.
To make it easy we would use APK Time. Once you have All cast and APKTime up and running, you simply download one of the apps from our list below. Launch All Cast and find the streaming device, and then connect it with your Roku device.
One last note is making sure your phone is fully charged or plugged in while streaming as it will drain the battery.
There’s a big choice, so here’s our pick of the best TV streaming applications:
Cyberflix
Cyberflix is hands down for us the best free TV streaming application out there. It looks just like Netflix, massive range of titles. It can be integrated with Real Debrid to get consistent high-quality streams. Plus, it’s 100% free and without ads.
Cinema HD
Great range of movie titles with tonnes of working links, simple user interface as well as a place for favorite. It can also be integrated with Trakt TV and Real Debrid, and you can watch trailers in the app.
Typhoon TV
A relative newcomer compared to our first 2 choices, but Typhoon TV has been topping off the charts for a few weeks, because of it being stable, easy to use with a high-quality user interface. Including a wide range of connectivity to premium services and no buffering fast links.
Mobdro
Mobdro is an oldie but a goodie. It has been around since 2017. Unlike the other apps, it isn’t focused on just free movies. It offers to live free cable TV with a very simple UI.
Bee TV
No account needed with Bee TV. No ads and completely free. A large range of content along with high-quality streams including HD and constantly updated content
A few others to check out:
- Media Box
- Cartoon HD
- Megabox HD
- Coto Movies
- Red Box
- Cartoon HD
- Cinema HD
- Unlock My TV
iOS
Unfortunately, unlike Android, iOS has a much smaller range of addons available at your disposal. You will also have to download the addons from the official websites as they won’t be available in the app store.
Follow the same instructions for downloading All Cast and then we have a few apps which provide a good service, but not as good as some of the better ones on Android.
Coto Movies:
https://cotomovies.com/
The best app for free streaming of TV shows and movie shows. Good range of content and clean UI. Some ads are shown in app.
Popcornflix:
https://www.popcornflix.com/pages/discover/d/movies
A good selection of movies but much smaller than you would find on something like Cyberflix. Also, the content tends to be much older.
Alternatively, you may want to go the free and legal route. In which case, Tubi TV and Pluto TV offer a good range of TV but expect ads as well as nothing particularly new.
Tubi TV:
Pluto TV:
