Google TV
Google TV: 700,000+ titles across streaming apps, ad-free and free to install
Free TV apps for Android: what to check before you install
This page covers 11 TV and radio apps for Android, and none of them reached grade A in our review. That is a fair starting point, since each app has something worth checking before you install it. Only licensed and free-to-air services are included, so anything that streams without rights is left out.
Read more
Start with ads. Four of the 11 apps carry none, and the rest show them. Samsung TV Plus is free and ad-supported, while Google TV shows none. Next, look at in-app purchases, which most of these apps offer. Then check the update date: the newest entries were updated in early November 2026, while Scanner Radio was last updated on September 13, 2026. Finally, confirm what the app actually does. Some stream content, and others mainly help you find it or control a device.
Apps in this category
TuneIn Radio
Live radio, news, sports and podcasts in one free Android app with ads
Apple TV
Apple's streaming app for Originals, live F1 and MLS, with no ads
Simple Radio
Free Android radio tuner with 90,000+ stations, Android Auto and Chromecast
Radio FM
Radio FM: 50,000+ stations, podcasts and audio drama with a sleep timer
Amazon Fire TV
Free Android remote with keyboard and voice search for Fire TV devices
Peacock TV
NBCUniversal streaming on Android with live sports, Bravo and NBC shows
iHeart
Free Android app for live AM and FM radio, podcasts and playlists
Scanner Radio
Live police, fire, weather and air traffic feeds with 2500-listener alerts
Samsung TV Plus
Free live TV on Android with 750+ channels, news and on-demand movies
YouTube TV
Cable-free live TV from 100+ channels with a 9-month cloud DVR, US only
__NAME__
__LINE__
Top 5 picks
Samsung TV Plus
Samsung TV Plus lists 750+ live TV channels plus on-demand movies and shows at no cost. It shows ads and lists no in-app purchases, so the ad load is the main thing to weigh. Google Play shows a 3.9 rating and over 100 million installs. The last update was September 9, 2026, the oldest among these five picks.
Google TV
Google TV, formerly Play Movies & TV, gathers titles from your streaming apps into one browsable place, with 700,000+ movies and episodes. It shows no ads but lists in-app purchases. Google Play shows over 10 billion installs and a 3.9 rating. It was updated November 3, 2026. Treat it as a guide to services you already use.
Amazon Fire TV
The Amazon Fire TV app works as a remote for a Fire TV, with simple navigation, a keyboard and voice search. It has no ads and no in-app purchases, which makes it the cleanest in this group. It only makes sense if you own a Fire TV device.
TuneIn Radio
TuneIn Radio describes over 100,000 live AM/FM stations from 197+ countries, plus podcasts and audiobooks. Ads appear and in-app purchases are offered. The station count comes from the developer, so test the local stations you care about.
Simple Radio
Simple Radio by Streema lists over 90,000 stations covering FM, AM and online radio. The current version is 6.3.0, updated October 26, 2026. Expect both ads and in-app purchases. Its 4.7 rating matches TuneIn Radio, the other top-rated radio pick here.
Questions and answers
Which of these apps have no ads?
Four of the 11 apps list no ads. Google TV, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV are among them. Apple TV's listing also refers to a subscription, so no ads does not mean no cost for everything inside it.
Are these apps really free to install?
All 11 are free on Google Play. Most still list in-app purchases, though Amazon Fire TV and Samsung TV Plus list none. Read each Google Play page for what sits behind a paywall before you rely on an app.
How do I tell whether an app is kept up to date?
Look at the update date. Google TV and Apple TV were updated on November 3, 2026, and Scanner Radio on September 13, 2026. Many listings show the version as varying by device, so the date is the more reliable signal.
Related categories
Best-of lists
Decide the job first. If you want live channels, Samsung TV Plus is the clearest fit on this list. If you want one search across services you already pay for, Google TV is built for that. For radio, TuneIn Radio and Simple Radio both list tens of thousands of stations.
Check the download size on the Google Play page against your free storage. Install one app, try the stations or channels you actually watch, and remove it if the ads or purchase prompts get in the way.