IMDb: Movies & TV Shows

IMDb has been on iOS since late 2009 and its latest build, version 16.8.1, still justifies its 547K-rating average of 4.79. At 150 MB it carries a serious database of movies, TV shows, cast details, and user ratings. Streaming service integration and watchlist alerts are the practical hooks that keep it useful day to day rather than just a reference lookup. It is free, though in-app purchases exist, and it supports eleven languages including Hindi, Korean, and Japanese.

The Database Is the Product

IMDb's core strength has always been depth of information, and the app reflects that. You can pull up a title, trace a supporting actor through their entire filmography, check a show's episode ratings individually, and land on a release date or content rating within a few taps. For anyone who regularly wants to settle a dinner-table argument about who directed what, this remains the fastest path to a reliable answer.

Watchlist and Streaming Alerts in Practice

Connecting preferred streaming services and setting availability alerts is a genuinely useful layer on top of the database. Saving a title and getting a notification when it lands on a service you already pay for removes a real friction point. The personalized recommendations, shaped by your ratings and stated interests, are hit-or-miss but improve noticeably once you have rated a few dozen titles.

Who Should Install This

Casual viewers who want one place to track what to watch next will get real value here. Hardcore cinephiles may find the recommendation engine too surface-level compared to community-driven alternatives, but no competing app matches IMDb's raw catalog size. The eleven-language support also makes it a solid choice for non-English-speaking households who want local and international titles in the same place.