Free Hulu is here for T-Mobile users, but there are multiple catches you need to know

Earlier this month, we discovered that T-Mobile would bring some of its subscribers a new “On Us” promotion. As the name suggests, the Hulu On Us promo gives free Hulu subscriptions to T-Mobile users. This is very similar to the incredibly popular Netflix On Us promo offered since 2017.

Well, today is the big day: if you are an eligible T-Mobile customer, you can get your free Hulu subscription. Unfortunately, there are numerous caveats to this promotion — so many that it is very confusing. We’ll break it all down for you here.

Who is eligible for free Hulu from T-Mobile?

Initially, we thought this Hulu On Us promo would only be available to Go5G Next subscribers. While that’s still true, people with other plans can get the promo, but what you get depends on what you already have (via The Mobile Report). Here’s how it breaks down:

• You are a new or existing Go5G Next subscriber: You get the Hulu On Us promo, which gives you free Hulu indefinitely.
• You had any plan active that offers the BASIC Netflix On Us promo before January 5, 2024: You get free Hulu for six months.
• You had any plan active that offers the STANDARD Netflix On Us promo before January 5, 2024: You get the Hulu On Us promo, which gives you free Hulu indefinitely.

If you are an existing T-Mobile subscriber who doesn’t have Netflix On Us in any capacity, you do not get access to Hulu On Us or the free six-month trial. Likewise, if you’re a new customer who signs up today for any plan other than Go5G Next, you do not get Hulu On Us.

What comes with Hulu On Us?

Whether you get the full “On Us” experience of free Hulu indefinitely or the six-month-long trial, you will receive the standard version of Hulu — the one that includes advertisements. This would normally cost you $7.99 each month or $69.99 each year. This plan does not include other perks Hulu offers, such as Live TV, Disney Plus, or ESPN Plus.

Can you upgrade to remove the ads?

Unfortunately, no. There is currently no way to upgrade to the ad-free Hulu experience and pay T-Mobile the difference. This is unfortunate because T-Mobile does offer this for the Netflix On Us promotion. With Hulu, though, it’s either “on” or “off,” with no way for you to customize it.

What if I already have a subscription to Hulu?

Currently, there is no way to transfer your existing subscription to the Hulu On Us promotion. In other words, to continue using your existing Hulu account and have T-Mobile pay the bill, you need to cancel your Hulu subscription, wait for it to fully end, and then sign up through T-Mobile. Be careful: this means any promotional discounts you’re enjoying with Hulu would end as well. If you signed up for a Black Friday promo last year, for example, that’s still active, and you probably don’t want to lose it.

How do I get free Hulu through T-Mobile?

If you’ve read everything above and are ready to get free Hulu with ad-supported content, visit T-Mobile’s Hulu On Us landing page. There, you’ll sign in to your account and request a code. You’ll need to sign up for a standard Hulu subscription using that code within 30 days. This code will either give you six or 12 months of free Hulu, depending on your T-Mobile status.

Please note that we’re hearing reports on Reddit that some subscribers are facing errors while signing up. This is likely just an early glitch that will smooth out as the promo gets into full swing. It seems Go5G Plus customers are the most affected right now, but others have reported issues, too.

We don’t yet know what happens after 12 months. Theoretically, you’ll need to get a new code and manually sign up again. However, it’s possible T-Mobile could change the process by the time January 2025 rolls around.

It’s unfortunate this perk isn’t as seamless, simple, and valuable as the Netflix On Us deal. Even with Netflix On Us now offering ads at its base, you can still upgrade it and there’s no need to fiddle with codes or canceling accounts. Hopefully, T-Mobile will improve this promo over time.