Apple TV+ without owning any Apple device

Question

Level 1

11 points

Apple TV+ without owning any Apple device

Hello,

I would like to sign up to Apple TV+ to watch the new Foundation series. However, my problem is that I don't have any Apple device, I'm using Windows. Is it possible to sign up to Apple TV+ if I don't have any Apple device?

I managed to create an Apple ID, but when I try to sign in with my Apple ID at the tv.apple.com website, it says

"Before you can sign in on the web, first sign in to the Apple TV app on your iPhone or iPad. On a computer, sign in to Apple TV or iTunes."

I'm not sure what the second sentence of this message means. How do I sign in "on a computer to Apple TV"? What is "Apple TV" in this sentence?

The above message also mentions iTunes, so I also tried the iTunes app that is in the Microsoft Store, but I ran into a technical issue:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/253178969

So, ultimately, is this an intentional limitation of Apple TV+ that I can't sign up to it without owning an actual Apple device, or am I just running into accidental technical issues? If it's an intentional limitation then please be explicit about it. I can't be the only Foundation fan in this exact situation right now...

Best regards,

Gabor

Windows, Windows 10

Posted on Sep 25, 2021 12:39 PM

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Answer 1

Sep 25, 2021 1:14 PM in response to FactorialG

A cursory review of these pages seems to indicate that you can only view it in a web browser.

You can review in more detail:

https://www.apple.com/apple-tv-plus/

and

https://support.apple.com/en-au/guide/tvplus/welcome/web

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Answer 2

FactorialG Author

Level 1

11 points

Sep 26, 2021 5:46 AM in response to FactorialG

It's working now! They solved my problem with iTunes in the other thread:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/253178981

Turns out there was an invisible checkbox, so I just needed to click around a bit in the empty space left before the "By clicking continue, you acknowledge...", and then I got past that page. So after signing in to iTunes for Windows, then the tv.apple.com website also started working. So now I started watching the first episode of the Foundation! Thanks a lot for all your help!

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Answer 3

Sep 25, 2021 1:23 PM in response to Chattanoogan

Doh … you might need to install iTunes for Windows. !!!

See:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT210384

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Answer 4

FactorialG Author

Level 1

11 points

Sep 25, 2021 1:13 PM in response to Chattanoogan

Hello,

Watching in a browser is exactly what I tried to do. When I try to sign in with my Apple ID, the website says

"Before you can sign in on the web, first sign in to the Apple TV app on your iPhone or iPad. On a computer, sign in to Apple TV or iTunes."

And I don't seem to be able to get past this. But it's unclear whether this is just a technical issue or intentional.

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Answer 5

Sep 25, 2021 1:19 PM in response to FactorialG

That’s interesting.

I don’t know - and I suspect many here don’t either - as we obviously generally own Apple devices.

I couldn’t find a hard “requirement” for Apple hardware in a quick search, but the message you’re receiving certainly sounds like one might exist.

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Answer 6

FactorialG Author

Level 1

11 points

Sep 25, 2021 1:34 PM in response to Chattanoogan

I'm Hungarian, but I'm in Germany. Btw. at first that page of iTunes looked a bit different somehow, and I was able to actually select Germany, but then the error was the same. Then I tried to set Hungary, and that setting is stuck now, I can't change it back to Germany.

I'm not getting to a stage where the system is asking banking details from me (neither the Apple TV+ website, nor iTunes). If I could get to a stage where I would be paying the money, then I could try to pay from my German bank or my Hungarian bank.

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