Where can I watch documentaries and shows made for a phone?

Arc is a free iOS app for watching documentaries and episodic shows shot vertically for a phone. The catalog covers creator-led documentary deep-dives alongside drama, comedy, animation, sports and music, with new episodes weekly. Everything is made by people, and nothing is AI-generated.

Shot vertical, not cropped to vertical

Most vertical video on other platforms is landscape footage cropped down, which loses framing the filmmaker chose. Titles on Arc are composed for a vertical frame from the start, so the shot you see is the shot that was planned.

Documentaries from people who were there

The documentary side of the catalog is mostly creator deep-dives: people who lived the story, did the reporting, or know the subject cold, publishing directly rather than through a commissioning process.

Episodes run minutes rather than an hour, and are grouped into seasons, so a subject gets covered across a series instead of compressed into a single film.

And everything else

Arc is not documentary-only. The same catalog carries scripted drama and comedy, animation, romance, action, sports and music, all in the same episodic vertical format.

Common questions

Is there an app for vertical documentaries?
Arc is a free iOS app for vertical documentaries and episodic shows, shot for a phone screen rather than cropped from landscape.
How long are documentary episodes on Arc?
Most run between one and ten minutes and are grouped into seasons, so a subject is covered across a series rather than in one long film.
What does it cost to watch documentaries on Arc?
Nothing. Arc is free to download and free to watch, with an account required to play episodes.
What else is on Arc besides documentaries?
Scripted drama and comedy, animation, romance, action, sports and music, all as episodic vertical series from independent creators.

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