Given I've already watched dozens of shows this year, having a way to keep track of all the shows I'm watching is a must.
Last year, I wrote about Marathon TV. I use this app to keep track of the top shows across all the best streaming services.
Well, I used to use it. Unfortunately, earlier in March, Marathon announced it was shutting down. I was left scrambling to find a replacement and I wasn't alone. I had people reach out to me asking if I had found an alternative.
The good news is that I have found a new app for tracking all the shows I'm watching: Trakt.TV.
What I need from a show tracking app
When looking for a replacement show tracking app, I needed the ability to do three things: Log episodes watched, rate episodes and leave a brief review. At the end of the year, having these logs of how I felt in the moment is crucial for my year-end lists of the best shows and best episodes.
But I also want it to be a fairly straightforward user experience. The good news is that Trakt.TV ticks almost all these boxes.
@tomsguide ♬ Vlog Hip-Hop Urban - Vladislav Kurnikov
The biggest complaint I have is that when it comes to logging the episodes; on the app, you have too many options.
On your home tab on the mobile app, you have a section that says Up Next. This has a list of shows you're currently watching and you can hit a button that says "track" to log that you watched the episode
But if you tap the show and go to the episode listing page, suddenly, this track button is gone. Instead, there's a plus icon and if you tap it, it gives you the option to say you're watching now or that you just finished watching.
If you hit watching now, the app shows your status as watching the episode and won't log the episode as watched until the runtime is up. That's maybe nice from a social feature standpoint, but practically, it's an unnecessary complication.
That's the only gripe I have so far, though. Logging a rating is simple (there's a rate icon on the episode listing page), and there's a comment section where you can leave your review of the episode. People can even like or reply to your comments if you're looking for a social element from the app.
Do I still prefer Marathon? Yes, but only slightly. I'll be sad that it's gone, but Trakt.TV is a more than acceptable replacement.
Check out Trakt.TV on web browser, the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store
Malcolm has been with Tom's Guide since 2022, and has been covering the latest in streaming shows and movies since 2023. He's not one to shy away from a hot take, including that "John Wick" is one of the four greatest films ever made.
Here's what he's been watching lately:
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