How to Watch Anime and Cartoons on Crunchyroll

Crunchyroll is the largest streaming service for anime and animation, with thousands of shows free with ads or ad-free with a subscription.

In this guide (5 steps):

1.Download Crunchyroll
2.Create a free account
3.Find a show to watch
4.Choose subtitles or dubbed
5.Set up parental controls

Download Crunchyroll

~15s

Search for "Crunchyroll" in the App Store, Google Play, or your smart TV's app store. Download and install the free app. You can also visit crunchyroll.com on a computer.

Create a free account

~22s

Open the app and tap "Sign Up." Enter your email address and create a password. You can start the free 14-day trial of the premium plan, or scroll to the bottom and choose the free tier to get started without entering payment information.

Quick Tip

The free account gives you access to a large portion of the library with ads. You can upgrade to paid later from the Settings menu.

Find a show to watch

~24s

Use the search bar to look up a specific show, or tap "Browse" to explore by genre (action, comedy, romance, fantasy, etc.). Tap on any show to see its description, the number of episodes, and whether it's available in English dubbed (spoken in English) or subtitled (Japanese audio with English text).

Quick Tip

If you're new to anime, try "My Hero Academia," "Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood," or "Spy x Family" — these are popular with first-time viewers.

Choose subtitles or dubbed

~16s

On the episode player screen, tap the audio/subtitle icon (usually in the top right corner). You can choose "English Dub" to hear the show in English, or "Subtitles" to watch with the original Japanese audio and English text at the bottom. Some shows only have one option available.

Set up parental controls

~19s

If family members with different ages share the account, go to your Profile iconSettingsMaturity Rating. You can set the maximum content rating allowed (similar to movie ratings). This filters out mature content from the browse screen.

Quick Tip

Creating separate profiles for different family members lets each person have their own watch history and recommendations.

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Crunchyroll is a streaming service specializing in anime (Japanese animation) and Asian dramas. It has the largest anime library of any service — over 1,200 series and 45,000 episodes — including popular shows like One Piece, Naruto, Dragon Ball, My Hero Academia, Demon Slayer, and Attack on Titan.

You can watch Crunchyroll for free with ads. A paid subscription ($7.99/month for the Mega Fan tier) removes ads, gives access to all content in HD, and lets you watch on multiple screens simultaneously. There's also an ad-supported free tier that gives access to a large portion of the library.

Crunchyroll is available on almost every device: iPhone, iPad, Android phones and tablets, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Samsung Smart TVs, and through any web browser on a computer.

If you have grandchildren or family members who love anime, Crunchyroll is the best place to watch it legally. New episodes of currently airing shows in Japan are added to Crunchyroll within an hour of their Japanese broadcast — often with English subtitles or dubbed in English.

The app has parental controls, including content ratings you can filter by to avoid mature content.

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