The primary and compelling argument for giving up smartphone real estate to The CW app is that you don't need a subscription or even a password.
Just download, install the app, and you're ready to dive straight into the latest episodes of your favorite shows on the free-to-air channel.
Within minutes you can be streaming hit TV series like All American, Batwoman, Charmed, The Flash, DC's Stargirl, Dynasty, and a whole lot more besides.
However, the thing that attracts people to the app is also what repels them. While not having to create an account or remember passwords sounds attractive on paper, it's not such a great idea in reality.
The big downside is that you can't sync across devices or receive personalized recommendations.
If you are on a break or traveling, for instance, you can't pause your viewing on your phone and pick it up later on your tablet. It's a single session. The result is that you have to remember which episode you were watching and where exactly you reached before having to break off.
● Watch full episodes of primetime shows the day after broadcast
● Watch full seasons of The CW's newest hits, Batwoman, DC's Stargirl, and Nancy Drew
● No cable subscription, credit cards, or passwords
● Get reminders when your favorite shows are available to view in the app
● Access CW Seed and watch over a thousand hours of new classics and digital series
● It's free
● Great selection of CW Network shows
● Hassle-free as you don't need cable
● It gets a ton of five-star reviews on Google Play and the App Store
● Only supports English
● Only available in the USA
● No login means you can't sync between devices to pick up your viewing later
You can download The CW app from Google Play and Apple's App Store. The Android version's requirements vary by device. iOs users need only part with 40.2 MB of storage space, which is very modest for iOS apps. They also need to run iOS 12.1 or later.
However, views vary on the app's overall ranking. At Google Play, The CW scores an impressive 4.4 out of five. But over at the App Store, an admittedly smaller group of reviewers aren't so swayed, awarding The CW a very ordinary 3.4 out of five.
While the app gets massive five-star backing by Android users, recent reviews on Google Play have expressed concerns about buffering. However, this may speak more to the reviewer's internet connection rather than the app itself.
There are also the usual moans about the ads. But is this really a major shock if an app is free?
Meanwhile, it's challenging to get an accurate picture over at the App Store when there are only just over 18,000 reviews, and the last one was in February 2020. While there is a significant tranche of reviews giving the app five stars, there's an almost equal number awarding it just one star.
The only conclusion is that you can't please everyone.
