Here are the free games, movies, ebooks, video tools and more to help you survive self-quarantine.
We've seen a dramatic shift in how communities are responding to the coronavirus. With schools, stores, restaurants and theaters closed -- and a top contender for Merriam-Webster's word of the year to be "social distancing" -- we all need lots of ways to entertain ourselves. And since we'll all be spending a lot of time at home going forward -- and money is already growing increasingly tight for millions -- the less that entertainment costs, the better. Thankfully, there's a plethora of free content available online. We've rounded up everything we can find below, from video streaming to distance learning to gaming and more. And we'll be expanding this list as we find more options.
And if you're asking "What's the catch?" -- it's basically twofold. Firstly, many of these services are ad-supported -- just like good old-fashioned commercial TV. And secondly, like everything else online, they're undoubtedly harvesting data from you. So before you sign up and dive in, just keep those two things in mind.
Sweet update: Here's some much-needed joy in a bag. Wendy's is now giving away one free Jr. Frosty with every drive-thru order. Just tell them whether you want vanilla or chocolate, and you'll get something delicious for free.
Free video
There's nothing like streaming video to help you weather the storm. And while Netflix, HBO, Hulu and all the rest cost a pretty penny, these free video streaming services are absolutely gratis. Just bring a working broadband plan and a tolerance for commercials -- and you should be golden.
Crackle
IMDb TV
Hoopla
Internet Archive
Kanopy
Plex
Pluto TV (Disclosure: Pluto TV is owned by ViacomCBS, the parent company of CNET)
The Roku Channel
Tubi TV
Vudu
In addition, Amazon has made a library of kids' TV shows free for all users. These shows are usually reserved for Amazon Prime customers, but now anyone can watch for free.
Comcast update: If you're a Comcast Xfinity X1 or Flex customer, you have a slew of new free programming options. Comcast is making on-demand programming from more than two dozen entertainment networks and subscription services available for free. To see your options, you can say "free" into your Xfinity Voice remote. The new content -- much of it drawing on diverse channels like Afro, Aspire TV, Black News Channel, Filipino On Demand, CBeebies and Cinelatino, joins channels like Showtime, Epix, CuriosityStream, History and Dog TV, which are already free during the pandemic.
Free ebooks and magazines
Why spend cold, hard cash buying books and magazines -- which you generally only read once and then don't need to see ever again -- when there's a really good chance you can borrow them from the library instead -- without actually having to go to the library. It might sound weird to check out digital media from the library, but many local libraries have modernized a lot since the days of card catalogs and microfiche readers. Exactly what you can check out from your local library depends on, well, what your local library offers. Nonetheless, here's how to get started:
Borrow ebooks from your library
Borrow free digital magazines from your library
And once you've explored what your library has to offer, there's no need to stop there, because you can find a wealth of resources for getting your hands on free ebooks online. For the whole scoop, check out 10 ways to download and read books online for free.
Authorama
Project Gutenberg
LibriVox
ManyBooks
BookBub
Goodreads
Smashwords
Digilibraries
BookLending
Free games
Now that we're all spending a lot more time at home, there's a lot more time to play video games. Then only problem? Games are expensive. Rather than empty your wallet on video games at retail prices, you might want to grab some free games -- there are always a few around. These games are all available for PC, and some are also available on PS4, Xbox and even the Switch and mobile platforms.
World War Z (limited-time offer)
Figment (limited-time offer)
Tormentor X Punisher (limited-time offer)
Drawful 2 (limited-time offer)
Child of Light (limited-time offer)
Fortnite: Battle Royale
Apex Legends
Call of Duty Warzone
League of Legends
Star Wars: The Old Republic
27 more free games from GOG
Free video conferencing
Perhaps the worst part of the pandemic for many of us is the isolation that comes from social distancing. We're working from home, not seeing friends in the evening, and generally trying to "air gap" ourselves to stay healthy. One way to stay connected despite the quarantines is using these free videoconferencing and video chat tools that have been around for years, but you might have had little reason to try. (Some have paid versions when being used for business/corporate accounts.)
FaceTime
Skype
Marco Polo
Facebook Messenger
Zoom
Google Hangouts Meet
Free music and audio
One of the first signs that businesses were starting to take the coronavirus seriously was when public events started getting postponed and canceled. Sporting events, music concerts, stage shows and live podcast tapings were just some of the entertainment options that disappeared overnight. That was a bummer, but there's a bright side. You can stock up on free audio to fill that hole in your soul.
Sirius XM (free until May 15, but it will automatically renew at the regular rate of $8 per month unless canceled by that date). For more info, read about the SiriusXM free offer here.
Spotify
Pandora
Podcasts for iPhone
Google Podcasts for Android
Amazon Music HD (free 90-day trial, but it will automatically renew at the regular rate of $15 per month unless canceled by the end of your trial period)
Audiobooks aren't just for long commutes. Audible has made a selection of Audible Originals free for the listening:
The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey
An Act of God
Evil Eye
Feeding the Dragon
The Half-Life of Marie Curie
Proof of Love
Sakina's Restaurant
And there's free content specifically for your kids, too. Audible has a large collection of free streaming audiobooks the younglings can enjoy.
Free distance learning solutions and educational resources
Thanks to the pandemic, schools across the US are closing, sending students home for an uncertain future -- and in most cases, it's unclear if studies will resume at all this academic year. Of course, most institutions are falling back to some form of online instruction, but if you're a parent looking for a way to keep your kids engaged academically during this very challenging time, there are many tools you can try.
If you want to add some virtual field trips to the at-home curriculum, you can take tours of hundreds of museums around the world at Google's Arts & Culture Collections. In addition, the New York Metropolitan Opera will stream a different encore Live in HD performance every day. For details, see the "Free night at the opera" section of Free entertainment to help you survive coronavirus social distancing.
One more thing: SoftMaker Office is a productivity suite that's often eclipsed by Microsoft Office -- to the point you might not even know it exists. But not only is Softmaker an Office alternative, it's Office-compatible; TextMaker uses Office's DOCX file format, while PlanMaker can read and write Excel's XLSX format. Right now, SoftMaker is offering six-month licenses to the full SoftMaker Office suite for free to all students.
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