Netflix makes some original content free to watch for everyone except iPhone users

Stranger Things, Birdbox, Murder Mystery and more shows and movies are free to watch on Macs, PCs, and Android devices

(Netflix)

Netflix is making some of its original TV shows and movies free to watch without a subscription.

Stranger Things, Murder Mystery, Elite, Bird Box, When They See Us, The Two Popes, Our Planet and Grace and Frankie is among the original content is available globally.

In a statement, the company said that it was “looking at different marketing promotions to attract new members and give them a great Netflix experience.”

Although movies are free to watch in their entirety, only the first episode of television series are available to watch for free.

A Netflix support page also points out that these free programmes are only available to watch on computer or Android device, as iPhone and iPad browsers are not supported. Streaming sticks or smart televisions are also not supported to view free programming.

Before each episode is a 30-second, skippable advert.

This is not the first time the company has put out free content to attract users.

To All the Boys I've Loved Before was made available to US users before its sequel launched earlier this year. And in 2019, it also made the first episode of The Crown available to everyone in the UK prior to the start of its third season.

The streaming service has recently made a number of its documentaries, including 13th, Babies, Chasing Coral, and Knock Down the House, available on YouTube.

Netflix has been looking for ways to get new users onto its platforms. Last year, the company saw a loss in US subscribers and only added 2.7 million customers globally - approximately half of what was predicted.

However, the company emphasised that all of the company's new subscribers were markets outside of the United States, and it was looking for more growth in those areas.

On a greater scale, the streaming market is also becoming more saturated with an increase in services such as Disney+ and Amazon Prime.

It is also facing competition from other mediums, like video games including Fortnite, which Netflix says is a bigger factor to its health than HBO.