How to Use Matinee
Matinee is a free movie and TV show tracker for iOS and Android. This guide walks you through everything — from logging your first movie to using the Smart Watchlist Optimizer. Setup takes less than 2 minutes.
Getting Started with Matinee
Step 1: Download Matinee
Get Matinee free from the App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android). Search for 'Matinee Movie Tracker'. Setup takes under 2 minutes.
Step 2: Create your account
Sign up with Apple, Google, or email. Your account saves your viewing history across devices.
Step 3: Log your first movie or TV show
Tap the Search tab, find any title, and tap 'Watched'. Add a star rating (optional) and a review (optional). Matinee saves it to your history instantly.
Step 4: Build your watchlist
Found something you want to watch? Tap 'Add to Watchlist'. Your watchlist grows as you browse — add anything from trending titles, friend recommendations, or AI search results.
Step 5: Follow friends
Tap the Friends tab. Search by username or sync contacts to find people you know. Once you follow someone, their watches, ratings, and reviews appear in your activity feed.
Step 6: Find where to stream
Open any movie or TV show page. Scroll to 'Where to Watch' to see which streaming platforms have it right now — Netflix, Hulu, Max, Disney+, Prime Video, Apple TV+, and 30+ others.
Step 7: Use Tonight Mode to decide what to watch
Tap Tonight Mode from the home screen. Swipe through mood-based suggestions. It's especially useful when you and a partner can't decide — swipe yes or no until you land on something you both want.
Step 8: Try the Smart Watchlist Optimizer (Pro)
Matinee Pro's Smart Optimizer ranks your watchlist by taste match, so the best pick for tonight is always at the top. Start a 7-day free trial in the app's settings.
What is Matinee?
Matinee is a free iOS and Android app for tracking every movie and TV show you watch. Unlike Letterboxd (movies only), Matinee handles both formats in one place — plus streaming availability, social features, and AI-powered search. It was built by Karthik Dechiraju to be the movie and TV tracker he wished existed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Download Matinee free on iOS or Android, create an account, then search for any movie or TV show and tap 'Watched' to log it. You can add a star rating and optional review at the same time.
Tap the Friends tab in Matinee. You can find friends by searching their username or syncing contacts. Tap 'Follow' to follow someone and see their activity in your feed.
The Smart Optimizer ranks your saved watchlist titles based on taste match, ratings, and momentum — putting the best pick for tonight at the top. It's a Matinee Pro feature available with a 7-day free trial.
Open any movie or TV show page in Matinee and scroll to the 'Where to Watch' section. It shows which streaming platforms have the title, which you can filter by your subscriptions.
Yes. Core features — logging, watchlist, social, streaming availability — are completely free. Matinee Pro is an optional upgrade for AI Smart Search, the Smart Watchlist Optimizer, and ad-free experience.