Common Sense Media Review
By Christy Matte
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Disney Channel faves plus branded games; lots of ads.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Download
Videos and Photos
DisneyNOW - Shows & Live TV
Privacy Rating Warning
Privacy Rating
Our expert evaluators create our privacy ratings. The ratings are designed to help you understand how apps use your data for commercial purposes.
Pass
Meets our minimum requirements for privacy and security practices.
Warning
Does not meet our recommendations for privacy and security practices.
Fail
Does not have a privacy policy and should not be used.
Privacy Rating
Our expert evaluators create our privacy ratings. The ratings are designed to help you understand how apps use your data for commercial purposes.
Pass
Meets our minimum requirements for privacy and security practices.
Warning
Does not meet our recommendations for privacy and security practices.
Fail
Does not have a privacy policy and should not be used.
What's It About?
DISNEYNOW - SHOWS & LIVE TV allows kids to enjoy their favorite Disney Channel (as well as Disney Junior, Disney XD, and Radio Disney) content on the go. There's a wide range of TV shows and movies, as well as curated selections like holiday content. Kids can even find extras like the "As Told by Emoji" videos. There are plenty of older shows as well as all the new favorites, and the offerings do change over time. To access their favorites more quickly, kids can create their own list. Some cable providers also include access to live content. DisneyNOW - Shows & Live TV includes dozens of games based on popular franchises in a range of genres, including puzzle, cooking, endless runner, and so forth. There are also a few creative endeavors, like a coloring game and one that invites kids to put together their own Bizaardvark video.
Is It Any Good?
For kids who are huge Disney Channel fans, this collection of TV shows, movies, and games is pretty close to nirvana. DisneyNOW - Shows & Live TV allows kids to continue to enjoy their favorite content without monopolizing the family TV. Moreover, they can extend their play into games and creative activities featuring their favorite characters. The app isn't without pitfalls, though. The advertising feels heavy-handed at times, especially when it comes to younger players, and the settings should really include an appropriate parent gate to keep little ones from switching from Disney Junior to Disney XD. In the end, the success of the app in your family will likely match your feelings about Disney Channel programming to begin with. It's an easy-to-navigate experience, so if you can't bear to listen to one more episode of Jessie, this colorful and jam-packed app might just save your sanity.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about respect. Are the characters in DisneyNOW - Shows & Live TV respectful to each other? How can you tell? What are the rules in your own house around respect?
What makes a good friend? How do you show your friends that you care about them? Has a friend ever done something unkind to you?
Talk to your kids about screen use and limits. How can kids enjoy digital media in balance with other activities?
App Details
- Devices : iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad , Kindle Fire
- Subjects : Hobbies : cooking , gardening
- Skills : Thinking & Reasoning : solving puzzles , Creativity : imagination , making new creations , producing new content , Emotional Development : empathy , Communication : friendship building , Responsibility & Ethics : embracing differences , learning from consequences , making wise decisions
- Pricing structure : Free (some content may require a paid cable subscription)
- Release date : October 7, 2017
- Genre : Entertainment
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Arts ( Music and Sing-Along )
- Publisher : Disney
- Version : 6.0.0
- Minimum software requirements : iOS 9.0 or later; Android varies by device
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
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