KINO TV Time shut down: what to do now (2026 guide)
TV Time shut down on July 15, 2026. Your account, your data, what's still salvageable: here's exactly what to do, step by step.
Summary: TV Time shut down on July 15, 2026, and Whip Media is permanently deleting the data of its 26 million users. If you exported your GDPR archive before the shutdown, you can reimport everything into an app like Kino. If not, here’s what’s still salvageable, and how to start fresh properly.
You opened the app, and nothing. Years of checked episodes, ratings and watchlist items, gone overnight. The frustration is real, and you’re not alone: millions of us are in the same boat. The good news? There’s a plan. In this guide, you’ll see why TV Time shut down, what happens to your account, what you can still save today, and how to rebuild your show tracking, better than before.
Why TV Time shut down (the real reason)
TV Time didn’t close for lack of users: parent company Whip Media chose to refocus on AI-powered data analytics for studios and platforms, a B2B market more profitable than a free consumer app. The service ended on July 15, 2026, as announced in Whip Media’s official statement.
The wording leaves no room for doubt: “it was no longer viable to maintain the service as a free application and there was not enough demand for a paid application.” TechCrunch puts the shock in numbers: over 26 million installs left stranded.
The rough part? The announcement dropped on July 1, via in-app notification. Two weeks to react, in the middle of summer. A lot of people missed the window, and this guide is written precisely for them.
What happened on July 15 (and what happens to your account)
Since July 15, 2026, TV Time is shut down for good: the app was pulled from the App Store and Google Play, the service no longer syncs anything, and Whip Media announced the permanent deletion of all personal data, with no recovery option. That’s confirmed in black and white by MacRumors and by official support.
In practice, for your account:
- Your watch history, ratings and watchlist are being deleted from the servers.
- Your comments, reactions and community badges disappear too, and those were never exportable.
- The app on your phone may still open, but it’s running on empty: no sync, no backup.
⚠️ Watch out: don’t uninstall the app yet if it still opens on your phone. Some screens (profile, stats, lists) remain viewable offline for a while: it’s your last chance to screenshot them.
Exported your archive before the shutdown? You’re in luck
If you downloaded your GDPR export before July 15, you’re fine: that file contains your tracked shows, watched episodes, ratings and watchlist. It’s the raw material to start over elsewhere without losing anything, and importing takes just minutes in a compatible app.
That little ZIP file is precious. Keep a copy in your cloud (Drive, iCloud) on top of your phone. We show you exactly how to use it in our guide to importing your TV Time data into a new app.
And if you’d rather relive your binge years first, our free TV Time stats tool reads your archive and shows your total watch time, most-watched shows and viewing habits. Nostalgia guaranteed.
🚀 Ready to start over? Download Kino and import your TV Time archive in one tap.
Didn’t export in time? What’s still salvageable
Let’s be honest: officially, it’s over. Whip Media only guaranteed exports until July 15, and as we publish this, the export tool is already failing to respond reliably. But before you mourn your history, you’ve got three concrete ways to rebuild most of it.
- Your emails: search “TV Time” in your inbox. Welcome emails, yearly recaps and notifications give you dated reference points.
- Your streaming platforms: Netflix, Prime Video and Disney+ keep their own watch history in your account settings. It’s your most reliable source for re-checking recent shows.
- Your memory, assisted: in Kino, the AI search (“describe it, we’ll find it”) helps put a title on that show “with the depressed detective in a small town”. Perfect for rebuilding your watched list as memories surface.
The right to access your data is real (the European Commission explains it here), but it assumes the data still exists. Once wiped from the servers, nobody can give it back.
💡 Key takeaway: your streaming history (Netflix, Prime, Disney+) is your best backup source: it belongs to your streaming account, not to TV Time, and it’s still there.
Choosing your next app: the criteria that actually matter
After the TV Time shutdown, picking a replacement comes down to four criteria: importing your archive, covering both shows AND movies, day-to-day comfort, and an honest business model. An app can look great on paper and be a chore to use: test before you commit.
Here’s the quick scorecard:
| Criteria | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| TV Time import | Start with your history, not from zero |
| Shows + movies | One app for everything you watch |
| Discovery | Find what to watch, not just check boxes |
| Fair pricing | Useful free tier, optional premium |
Kino ticks all four boxes: one-tap archive import, series and movie tracking, a personalized discovery feed with AI search, free with an optional premium. We compared every serious option in our guide to the best TV Time alternatives, and you can see the detailed head-to-head on our Kino vs TV Time page.
Start over in 15 minutes: the full action plan
No need to sacrifice your weekend. Here’s the plan to get your show tracking back up and running in a quarter of an hour, with or without your TV Time archive.
- Grab your GDPR archive if you have it (“your data export” email, Downloads folder, cloud).
- Download Kino: the app is live on the App Store, and in beta on Android.
- Import your archive in one tap, or re-check your 10 current shows from memory (it’s quick, promise).
- Add your next 5 watchlist picks so you never open Netflix without a plan again.
- Turn on release reminders for your currently airing shows.
No archive? Start with your current shows: they’re what build the daily habit. Your full history will rebuild naturally over the weeks, as memories come back.
✅ Good practice: re-check your current shows and watchlist first. Your old history isn’t going anywhere; your next binge night is.
Key takeaways
- TV Time shut down on July 15, 2026, data deleted.
- An exported GDPR archive means one-tap history reimport.
- No archive? Emails, streaming history and assisted memory help.
- Kino picks up the torch, with import and discovery built in.
Conclusion
TV Time shut down, but years of series obsession don’t vanish with a press release. Whether you have your archive or not, what matters is landing on an app that won’t put you through this again: easy import, complete tracking, real discovery. Download Kino on the App Store or join the Android beta and be back on track in 15 minutes.
So, did you export your archive in time, or are you rebuilding from memory? Either way, tell us your biggest loss (ours: a history of 847 procedural episodes, gone but not forgotten).
Frequently asked questions
Why did TV Time shut down?
Parent company Whip Media shut TV Time down on July 15, 2026 to focus on its AI-powered data analytics business, a more profitable B2B market. The official statement explains the free app was no longer viable and there wasn't enough demand for a paid version.
Can I still get my TV Time data back?
Officially no: Whip Media announced that all personal data would be permanently deleted after July 15, 2026, with no recovery option. The GDPR export tool is already unreliable. If you downloaded your archive before the shutdown, it's all you need to start over elsewhere, including on Kino.
What app replaces TV Time?
Kino is the most direct replacement: series and movie tracking, watchlist, ratings, a discovery feed, and one-tap import of your TV Time archive. Depending on your profile, Trakt, Simkl or Serializd are also solid options. The Kino app is available on the App Store and in beta on Android.
Will TV Time come back?
Nothing suggests it. Whip Media pulled the app from the stores, announced data deletion and committed to a strategic pivot toward AI data analytics for studios and platforms. A return of the consumer app isn't mentioned anywhere in the official communication.
