10 Smart Hulu Hacks You Need to Know
When using a streaming service for TV shows and movies like Hulu, you want to get the most out of the service.
We don’t know your tastes and preferences for movies and TV shows, so we cannot help you with what to watch, but we can give you some of top Hulu hacks so you can be a power user by the time you finish reading this.
1. Try Before You Buy with a Free Trial
If you are unfamiliar with Hulu, it is a popular streaming service that allows users to watch a wide variety of TV shows, movies, and exclusive content (like The Handmaid’s Tale), including both current and classic titles from networks and studios.
You can become more familiar with what the service has to offer with a one-month free trial. Hulu offers a variety of plans to fit most budgets, and they include plans with ads, no ads, and a live TV option.
The free trial is for the ad-supported plan. You can access Hulu on your computer, smartphone, Smart TV, Roku device, or Amazon Fire Stick.
2. Broaden Your Options When You Browse by Network
When you sign up for Hulu, it will ask you what kind of shows, movies, and genres you like. This will help to personalize recommendations for you.
You probably know already from other streaming services that not all recommendations are good ones. And, sometimes you just want something different.
You can broaden your options when you browse for shows by network, and Hulu has more than 30 networks, including ABC, CBS, Fox, FX, A&E, BBC America, Food Network, and USA.
Select TV, look for the networks, scroll to find the A-Z option, and spend a few minutes seeing what your favorite networks offer. ABC has new shows like The Rookie and classic ones like Castle (do you see a Nathan Fillion theme here).
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3. Use Your Smartphone as a Remote
Let’s be real, at some point we just won’t want to get up off the couch to retrieve the remote.
So, if you are like me, then you will appreciate that if you watch Hulu on a Roku device or Amazon Fire device, you can use your smartphone as a remote when you download the app for your device.
4. Consider the Bundle for a Better Buy
How would you like three streaming services for less than the price of two? If you decide to sign up for Hulu, then consider signing up for the Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+ bundle.
At the end of 2022, it’s like BTGO: Buy Two, Get One free. Hulu with ads costs $7.99. Disney+ with ads costs $7.99. And, ESPN+ will set you back $9.99. But, sign up for the bundle, and you will get all three for $13.99, less than the cost of any two.
Buy the Bundle with Rakuten and Reduce Your Cost with Cash Back
If you are going to subscribe to Hulu or the bundle, wait until you download the Rakuten browser extension.
Rakuten is a cash-back service that works with more than 3,500+ stores and online companies, like Hulu.
Download the Rakuten browser extension before you sign up for Hulu. When you visit the Hulu site on your computer, you will be prompted to activate a cash-back reward.
When you are not on the Hulu site, Rakuten helps you find coupons and lets you earn cash back. Download the free Rakuten browser extension (+grab a $10 welcome bonus) and get some easy money.
5. Have a Hulu Virtual Watch Party with Friends
Sometimes you just want to watch a show and movie with friends so you can talk about the plot twists, the acting, the editing mistakes, or the writing. What if you can’t because your ride or die is miles away?
No worries, Hulu Watch Party has just entered the chat.
The Hulu Watch Party lets up to 8 people, who have to be 18 years or older, watch a movie or show together online through a supported browser. Find a show or series with a watch party icon, select the chain icon to copy the link, and send it to your family and friends.
When you watch the show together, guests can respond to what’s happening via chat. Your guests will need Hulu accounts.
6. Hit Pause on Your Subscription on Vacation
Don’t you hate paying for something you can’t use? You don’t have to with Hulu’s option to pause your subscription.
If you won’t be using your account for a while, you can pause your subscription for up to 12 weeks. However, here’s what you need to know about pausing Hulu:
- Navigate to your account page and select the Your Subscription to pause.
- You can pause if you pay monthly through Hulu, Roku, or Amazon. But you cannot if you subscribe annually, or you get billed by a third party.
- When you pause, it will take effect on the first day of your next billing cycle.
- When you reactivate your subscription, the day you do so will become your new billing date.
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7. Download Shows to Watch Offline
Hulu subscribers with an ad-free plan can download up to 25 titles to their mobile devices to watch later. If you have a mobile plan with limited data, then you will want to make sure you download your programming over a Wi-Fi connection.
Once you download a title, you have 30 days to watch. Shows expire on your device after that time.
8. Top Off Your My Stuff Offerings
Hulu lets you save shows (and movies) you want to watch later, making it a convenient way to catch up on viewing your favorite episodes. Hulu calls its watchlist “My Stuff.”
If you are browsing the service and see something you like, just add it to your stuff. This is especially helpful if you are watching the current season of a TV show.
Networks like ABC, CBS, and Fox release current season episodes on a weekly basis so you can’t binge watch a series at the start of the season, unlike Netflix that releases an entire series on the same day.
However, you can binge-watch classic series on Hulu.
But, as you browse, keep your My Stuff filled with titles you might want to watch so they are readily available when you want to chill.
9. Keep Your Watch History Clean
Hulu lets you set up multiple profiles on your account so each family member can personalize what they watch and what Hulu recommends.
But, what happens if your partner or kids hijack your profile and fill it up with shows you’d never watch? After all, your watch history helps shape what kinds of shows Hulu suggests to you.
No worries. Navigate to the Keep Watching section and remove the content that is messing up your recommendations.
10. Download the Hulu App on All Your Devices
Hulu will let you download its app on all your devices, like your smartphones, tablets, streaming sticks, and smart TVs.
This is a nice feature so you can take Hulu virtually anywhere you go. However, you will only be able to watch Hulu on two devices at a time.
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