Is Tubi Safe? How does it work?

Tubi is among the best free streaming services out there, with a huge library of movies and TV shows you can watch on-demand or on live channels, all without paying any fees. That begs the question: how does Tubi make its money? And is Tubi safe to use?

Tubi recently signed a deal with Warner Bros. Discovery, making it the new home for shows like Westworld, FBoy Island, The Nevers, and Raised by Wolves, among other titles. That’s a high-profile partnership. If you’ve never heard of Tubi, or if you’ve just never tried it, you may have some questions about your privacy and cybersecurity. In short, Tubi is just as safe as the competition. If you feel safe using Netflix and Hulu, you have no reason to worry. But the answer is obviously more complex than that.

Read on for a full breakdown.

Related: Are ad-supported streaming services worth it?

What is Tubi?

Tubi is a free streaming serve owned and operated by Fox.

Tubi has a huge library of movies and TV shows, including a few originals available exclusively on the ad-supported service.

Do you need to sign up for Tubi?

You don’t have to sign up for Tubi, so you don’t have to volunteer much information at all. You can go to the website and start playing any content you find there.

You can, if you choose to, create a Tubi account either by signing via Google or Facebook or registering by creating a whole new account.

The advantage of signing up is that you’ll be able to create a watchlist, get alerts, and basically use Tubi the way you use most other streaming services that remember you.

What information does Tubi need or collect?

Tubi’s collection of personal information is pretty standard. It’s the kind of stuff you’ll find in most streaming services’ privacy policies. Most of us don’t read those, but Tubi’s lays out its basic policies.

In short, Tubi does collect plenty of personal information.

That includes names, genders, email and mailing addresses, IP addresses, your activity on Tubi, and other similar information you either share when you sign up or can be collected simply when you visit the site.

Tubi uses that information to improve services and help direct more targeted advertising your way. When information does not identify you personally, it is also shared with third parties within the parameters of applicable laws.

How does Tubi stay afloat without charging?

There’s no big secret to how Tubi keeps the lights on. It’s a free streaming service that does what most free streaming services do. It hosts ads.

Every 12 to 15 minutes or so, you can expect an ad break in whatever you’re watching. The money Tubi makes from advertises goes towards licensing titles, producing and acquiring “Tubi originals,” and operating the site.

That’s it. That’s how Tubi keeps the lights on without charging you a dime.

Is Tubi safe to use?

There are a lot of sketchy free streaming sites. You may have stumbled upon some. They immediately bombard you with invasive pop-ups. They offer access to titles they clearly don’t have the rights to. The quality is poor. They generally stand out as pretty bad overall.

Tubi is not one of these sites.

Instead, it’s an above-board service that is both legal and safe to use. You don’t pay for it, but the ads you watch do.

While Tubi may collect data based on your usage, it’s not doing anything weird or uncommon with that info. It’s not redirecting you anywhere. It won’t trick you into clicking on any dubious links. It offers you access to its library, and that’s it.

So, happy streaming! Enjoy the free shows and movies with peace of mind.