How to set up hayu | A step-by-step guide

Reality streaming service hayu is teeming with some of the sauciest shows streaming at the moment. Like any streaming video-on-demand service, the pitch seems so simple: sign up for a free trial and begin streaming on your preferred device. If only it were that easy.

If you're having trouble keeping up with the latest technologies and streaming services, getting it all set up can be a bit of a headache (but nowhere near as stressful as booking an installation with your cable provider). To help start your streaming engines, we've created an easy-to-follow step-by-step guide to set up hayu on every compatible device.

Step 2. Visit the hayu website

Go to the official hayu website. The good news is that you'll be automatically redirected to the region you're currently in, so don't worry about typing in the absolutely correct URL. Now that you're on the hayu website, you need to click the big pink "Register" button in the upper right of your screen.

Step 3. Enter your details to get a free trial

Why even lay your money down before you know if hayu is worth it? Make use of the 30-day trial period to see if the service sits right with your expectations.

You can sign up either using your existing Facebook account or a combination of an email address, first and last name and designated password. Be sure to tick the "I am over 18 box" and the "I agree to hayu's terms and conditions". The basic gist of what you're agreeing to is that if you don't manually cancel your trial inside of the 30-day period, hayu will automatically start to charge you $6.99 a month (the standard rate of the service). Which is what the next step is all about.

Step 4. Payment options

It doesn't really matter if you're a returning or brand new hayu member – you'll need to enter the details of a major credit card or your PayPal account to proceed. Once again, there's no binding contract here. You can quit any time. We'd recommend setting a calendar alarm on your phone to remind you to (maybe) pull the plug in, say, 28 days.

The credit card option is self-explanatory. Enter your digits and be sure to input your name as it appears on that lovely piece of plastic. Folks who go the PayPal route will have a separate portal window open up where they'll need to enter their PayPal specific username and password, then select the method of how they want PayPal to siphon the required funds to hayu.

Once payment is complete, you'll be taken to the Subscriptions area of the hayu site. There'll be a receipt on-screen that indicates that you've been signed up and charged ($0 at present) to get your free trial. You can jot down the order reference number, just in case. Alternatively, wait half a second and a hayu email with the same said details will appear in the inbox of the email address you specified.

All done. You're ready to get your binge-watch on!

Step 5. Set up hayu

Let's try to cover all of the bases here.

• Desktop or laptop computer:

  If you've set up hayu on a desktop machine, you're basically good to go as you are. Click on the "Browse" option located in the top left section of the browser window you're surfing on. Scroll down on this page and simply click on the boxes with the "Play" iconography on them. Watch and enjoy!

• iOS (iPhone, iPad):

  Tap the App Store icon, just as you would download any other game or application. Tap the search tab (search glass) at the bottom of the screen and enter the term "hayu" (it's going to be the first option to appear at the top of that page). Alongside the description of the App is the "Get" button. Stab that with your index finger and input your iTunes password to seal the deal (alternatively, use your fingerprint if that's what you have set up).

  One tiny download later and hayu will be on your device. Tap on the icon, input the details you used to sign up and you're off to the races.

• Android (Samsung, Xperia, HTC and others):

  Locate the Google Play store icon on your phone and tap into it.

  Click on the search icon in the top right corner of the screen (a magnifying glass icon) then fill the search bar with the word "hayu". Tap on the first search result and click on the "Install" button that will be sitting alongside the app description. Agree to Google's terms and conditions to begin the download.

In a short while, the hayu icon will appear in your Apps section. You may as well relocate a shortcut of it to your Home screen (tap and hold your finger on the app, then drag it to where you want it, then release). Once this is done, click on the hayu icon and enter the sign-up details you previously decided upon back on the hayu website.

Step 6. Start browsing hayu

Hopefully, you've followed all the above steps and you're staring at the vast delights of hayu's library of TV shows and movies. Finding what you want to watch is a cinch, too – just tap the magnifying glass icon, type in a few letters and hayu will do its best to match you with the title it thinks you're after. You can even narrow the search by clicking through the categories that all hayu content is divided up into (Shows, Episodes, Snippets, Extras, Coming Soon, Playlists and Stories).

The complete hayu TV lineup

Is your favourite reality show on hayu? Find out with our regularly-updated list.

Compare hayu libraries from around the globe

See how the Australian hayu TV show library compares to the UK and Ireland.

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