To get Sling TV on an iPhone, open the App Store, search for Sling, and tap Get next to the free Sling: Live TV, Sports & News app. Then open the app and sign in to your Sling account, or watch the free Sling Freestream channels without paying.
That is the whole job for most people. The rest of this guide covers what you need before you start, each step in detail, the free option, how to send Sling to a TV, and what to do when the app will not install or play. The steps follow Sling’s Apple devices page, Sling’s help center, and the Sling app’s App Store listing as they read in October 2026.
What You Need Before You Start
- A recent version of iOS. The App Store listing currently says the app requires iOS 16.1 or later. Some Sling help pages still mention iOS 11, but the App Store requirement is the one that decides whether the newest app will install.
- An Apple Account and an internet connection. Apple requires both to download anything from the App Store.
- Some free storage. The listing shows the app at about 129 MB.
- A location inside Sling’s service area. Sling says you must be in one of the 50 United States or Puerto Rico to subscribe or watch.
- A fast enough connection. Sling asks for at least 3 Mbps, and recommends 25 Mbps if several devices will stream at once.
- A Sling account, for paid channels. You do not need one to try Freestream.
To check your iOS version, open Settings, tap General, then tap Software Update. The screen shows the version you have and whether a newer one is available. Apple explains the update process in Update iOS on iPhone.
How to Download Sling TV on an iPhone
- Open the App Store on your iPhone.
- Tap Search, type Sling, and run the search.
- Find Sling: Live TV, Sports & News. Tap its name and check that the developer is Sling TV, LLC so you know you have the official app.
- Tap Get. If you see a cloud icon with an arrow instead, you downloaded the app before, and tapping the icon downloads it again.
- If asked, confirm with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode. The app is free, so you are not charged for the download.
- Wait for the progress circle to finish, then tap Open. You can also leave the App Store and tap the Sling icon on your Home Screen.
The Sling app is now on your iPhone. If you cannot find the icon later, Apple says newly downloaded apps appear in the Recently Added group in App Library. Apple’s own steps are in Get apps in the App Store on iPhone.
How to Sign In and Start Watching
Open the app and choose the sign-in option, then enter the email address and password for your Sling account. If you do not have an account yet, Sling’s own getting-started steps are to create an account, choose a channel lineup, and start watching. The App Store listing shows that the app offers in-app purchases, and you can also sign up on Sling’s website in a browser.
Before you pay: Sling says it has no free trial, and a paid plan is a monthly subscription that renews until you cancel. Check the current price on Sling’s site before you confirm, and try Freestream first if you only want to see how the app works.
Once you are signed in, Sling describes these main areas of the app:
- My TV, a home tab you can customize with your favorite channels and shows.
- Guide, a channel grid for browsing what is on.
- On Now, a quick look at what is airing live.
- Continue Watching, to pick up a show you already started.
- Search, to find a specific show, movie or channel.
You know it worked when a channel from your plan starts playing. Menu names can shift between app versions, so if a tab is missing, look for the same idea under a slightly different label.
How to Watch Sling for Free With Freestream
Sling Freestream is Sling’s free, ad-supported tier. It lives inside the same Sling app, so there is nothing extra to install. Sling says Freestream has more than 600 free live channels plus on-demand shows and movies, and that you do not need an account or a credit card to watch it.
- Install and open the Sling app as described above.
- Choose the free viewing option instead of signing in to a paid plan. The exact wording of the button can change.
- Pick a channel or an on-demand title.
A free Sling account is optional. Sling says that creating one adds extras such as favorite channels, watchlists, parental controls and 10 hours of DVR storage. A DVR, short for digital video recorder, saves a live program so you can watch it later.
| Feature | Sling Freestream | Paid Sling plan |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | Monthly fee that depends on the plan |
| Account | Not needed to watch | Required |
| Channels | 600+ free channels, per Sling | The lineup in your plan, plus any extras you add |
| DVR | 10 hours with a free account | 50 hours included |
| Streams at once | Not stated by Sling | 1 to 4, depending on the plan |
If you pay for Sling and your channels are missing, you are probably in the free view. Sling notes that you are not signed in automatically when you move between Freestream and your paid service, so sign in again.
How to Watch Sling on a TV From Your iPhone
A phone screen is small for a ball game. Sling documents two ways to move to a TV.
- Use the Sling app on the TV device. Sling has apps for Apple TV (4th generation or later), Roku, Fire TV and many smart TVs. Install it there and sign in with the same account.
- Cast to a Chromecast. Sling’s instructions say to connect your phone and the Chromecast to the same Wi-Fi network, start watching in the Sling app, then tap the Cast icon. Our guide on casting an iPhone to a Chromecast covers the setup and the Local Network permission that iPhone apps need.
Sling’s help pages do not spell out AirPlay support for the iPhone app, so treat AirPlay as something that may or may not work for a given channel. For the general method, see how to watch YouTube on the Apple TV with an iPhone.
Keep the stream limit in mind. Sling says Sling Orange allows one stream at a time, Sling Blue allows three, and the combined Orange & Blue plan allows four. Watching on the TV and the iPhone at once uses two of them.
How to Remove Sling From Your iPhone
Warning: deleting the app does not cancel a paid plan. Sling says monthly subscribers cancel by visiting their account, and that access continues until the end of the period already paid for. If you subscribed through another company’s billing, cancel with that company instead.
To sign out without deleting anything, Sling’s steps are Settings > Account > Sign Out inside the app. To remove the app completely, follow our guide on how to delete apps on an iPhone. You can download Sling again later at no charge.
Sling TV Not Working on iPhone? Try These Fixes
Sling’s general troubleshooting page lists these steps for most streaming problems. Work down the list and stop when the picture comes back.
- Change channels, then go back. This shows whether one channel is the problem or the whole app.
- Turn off any VPN. A VPN routes your connection through another location. Sling says this can make it look like you are outside the service area, and the stream may be blocked.
- Close and reopen Sling. On an iPhone without a Home button, swipe up from the bottom of the screen and pause in the middle, find Sling, and swipe up on its preview. On a model with a Home button, double-click the button first. Apple’s steps are in Close an app on your iPhone.
- Sign out and back in. In the app, go to Settings > Account > Sign Out, then sign in again.
- Restart your router and modem. Sling says to unplug them for at least 10 seconds, plug them back in, and wait a minute or two.
- Update the app. Open the App Store, tap Today, tap your profile icon at the top, scroll to the pending updates, and tap Update next to Sling. If the button says Open, you likely have the current version.
- Delete and reinstall. Sling says this clears the app’s saved data and installs the newest version in one step. You will need to sign in again.
The App Store will not let me download Sling
The usual cause is an iPhone on a version older than iOS 16.1. Update iOS in Settings > General > Software Update and try again. If your iPhone cannot be updated that far, Sling says you can watch in the Safari browser at watch.sling.com instead, although Sling’s help pages do not say how well that works on a phone.
I cannot find Sling in the App Store
Search for the single word Sling and look for the developer name Sling TV, LLC. Sling is a US service, so the app may not appear if your Apple Account is set to another country or region.
The Get button is gray or asks for a password every time
That is controlled by your iPhone, not by Sling. Screen Time restrictions can block app installs. See what restrictions are on an iPhone for where those settings live.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Sling TV app free on iPhone?
Yes, the app is a free download from the App Store. Freestream channels are free to watch. Most well-known cable channels need a paid Sling plan.
Do I need a Sling account to use the app?
For paid channels, yes. For Freestream, Sling says no account and no credit card are required. A free account adds extras such as favorites and a small DVR.
Which iPhones work with Sling TV?
Any iPhone that can run iOS 16.1 or later, according to the current App Store listing. Check Settings > General > Software Update to see your version.
Can I record shows from my iPhone?
Sling says paid subscribers get 50 hours of cloud DVR storage and can watch recordings from any signed-in device. Sling also says some channels cannot be recorded.
Does Sling use a lot of cellular data?
Live video uses much more data than browsing or music, so a long game away from Wi-Fi can use up a limited data plan. See 10 ways to reduce cellular data usage on your iPhone.
Can I use Sling TV outside the United States?
Sling says you must be in one of the 50 United States or Puerto Rico to subscribe or watch. It also warns that a VPN can cause streams to be blocked, so the supported answer when traveling abroad is that Sling may not play.
What other live TV apps are there for iPhone?
Hulu offers live channels too, and you can upgrade to the no-commercials plan on Hulu if you want its on-demand library without ad breaks. See how to watch live TV on Hulu. If you were hoping for the free Crackle app, read what happened to Crackle on the iPhone before you search for it.
Next Step
Install the app and open Freestream first. It costs nothing and shows you how Sling runs on your iPhone and your connection. If you like it, compare the plans on Sling’s site, then sign in with your new account.
Matthew Burleigh has been writing tech tutorials since 2008. His writing has appeared on dozens of different websites and been read hundreds of millions of times.
After receiving his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science he spent several years working in IT management for small businesses. However, he now works full time writing content online and creating websites.
His main writing topics include iPhones, Microsoft Office, Google Apps, Android, and Photoshop, but he has also written about many other tech topics as well.