How to Get Free Local TV With Locast

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Watch Live TV with Locast
by Nicholas Congleton
Nick Congleton has been a freelance tech blogger since 2015. His work has appeared in PCMech, Make Tech Easier, Infosec Institute, and others.
Updated May 08, 2019

Local TV should be free, right? After all, in the past, everyone was able to get free local TV with set top antennas. The system wasn't perfect, but it worked, and it didn't cost a thing. Now, digital antennas are an option, but they don't work nearly as well as they should in a lot of instances. That's where Locast comes in. They're a relatively new service that converts over-the-air signals to digital ones and broadcasts them online, free of charge. The only requirement is that you be located in the actual range of the signal you're trying to access (or have a VPN that is). With Locast, you can watch the basic broadcast channels in your area for free on your computer, mobile device, Roku, or Amazon streaming device for free.

Locast is only available in a few select cities across the US; make sure you head to their website and see if you are in one of them before you follow the instructions below, or set up a VPN to seem like you live in that city.

  1. Open your web browser and go to the Locast home page.

    Locast home page

  2. Your browser will immediately prompt you for your location. This is because Locast is on tight location restrictions for legal reasons. Allow Locast to access your location.

  3. Once Locast finds where you are, you'll see your location appear in the upper right of the web page.

    Select Live TV Guide at the top of the page to continue.

  4. Locast will take you to a TV guide page that looks a lot like a cable provider or streaming service's breakdown of what's on. In the upper portion of the screen, you'll see details about the show that you currently have selected. Select a show that you would like to watch.

    Locast TV guide

  5.  Press Watch Now to start the sign up process.

  6. A new modal window will pop open with a button for you to Login With Facebook or enter your email address and password. This is the way you'll sign in in the future. To create an account, press Register now near the top of the window. Of course, Facebook is an option, if you'd prefer that.

    Locast login

  7. Fill in your email and desired password for your Locast account. That's all you really need. There's no additional information required to get started. When you're happy with everything, press Register.

    Locast registration

  8. Locast will return you to the the TV guide page. Press Watch Now again to start your selected show. The show will take a few seconds to load up, depending on your connection.

    Locast streaming live TV

  9. To watch in full screen, press the icon that looks like a box with thick corners in the lower left of the viewing area.

  10. You can watch through your browser any time now by following the same steps.

Mobile devices, Amazon, and Roku

Unless you only watch TV on your computer, you probably want a different way to get Locast on your TV. Currently you can watch it on Android or iOS devices as well as Amazon and Roku. Android and iOS users can find their respective apps on the Play and App stores.

You can add Locast on Amazon through its page on their store or directly through your device.

The Locast channel is available through the Roku channel store.

Once you download the app for your platform, you can sign in to the account that you created in your browser and start watching right away. You've already set everything up. There is one common complaint for these apps, donation requests. Be aware that you will be prompted, rather annoyingly, to donate. Hopefully, the project switches to a less invasive approach soon. All said, you will be able to watch live local TV for free, though, and the picture quality and reliability beat most antennas on the market.