BuddyCinemas is a streaming service for Indian films, mostly Telugu, with Tamil, Kannada, Hindi and Malayalam titles too. You can use it on the website, buddycinemas.com, and in the BuddyCinemas phone app for Android and iPhone.
- Browsing is open to everyone. Every title has its own page with the story, year, running time and genre.
- Free films play at no cost. Some have short ad breaks.
- Premium titles open with tokens or with a cash payment. You never buy tokens: you earn them with a daily check-in, scratch cards and, on the website, short rewarded ads.
- Cash is a 24-hour rental or a one-year purchase of a film or series, or a one-time price for a short. Cash payments are made on the website. India pays in ₹, everywhere else in $.
- There are no subscriptions. Nothing renews and nothing is charged automatically.
- A free account keeps your tokens, your list, your unlocked titles and where you stopped watching on every device.
From your first visit to your first film:
- Open buddycinemas.com or the BuddyCinemas app. You start as a guest: you can browse, search and open any title straight away.
- Pick a title from the home page, or use Browse or the search icon in the top bar.
- On the title's page, look at the button under the story:
- Play: it is free for you, or already unlocked. Press it.
- Sign in to watch: you need a free account first. Go to step 4.
- Unlock · N Tokens or Rent or buy: it is a premium title. See Ways to watch below.
- To make an account, press Sign in to watch on a title, or go to buddycinemas.com/auth. In the app, tap the profile button at the top right, then Sign In / Create Account. The same buttons create your account the first time you use them.
- Choose how to sign in:
- Continue with mobile number: type your 10-digit Indian mobile number and press Send code. A 6-digit code comes on WhatsApp first. Type it and press Sign in. If it does not arrive, wait 30 seconds and press Didn't get it on WhatsApp? Send by SMS when it is shown.
- Continue with Google: pick your Google account. You never type your Google password into BuddyCinemas.
- Continue with Apple: on the website. In the iPhone app the button is Sign in with Apple; the Android app does not have it.
- Email me a sign-in code: only for an account you already have (for example one you made with Google). We email a 6-digit code to that address. It never creates a new account.
- You come back to the page you were on. Anything your guest visit had, such as tokens, moves into your account.
- Press Play. If many people are starting films at the same moment you may see You're in line: wait a few seconds, it starts by itself.
Sign-in codes last 5 minutes and only the newest one works. You can ask for 3 codes in 10 minutes. After 3 wrong tries a code stops working; ask for a new one.
A few buttons can show Coming soon (Microsoft, and any sign-in method that is switched off). They do nothing yet.
What you can and cannot do
As a guest (not signed in)
- You can browse, search, read every title's page and watch trailers.
- You can watch free films in the phone app. On the website free films also play, unless the website has been set to ask guests to sign in first; then you see Sign in to watch.
- You cannot unlock or buy a premium title. You are asked to sign in first.
- You cannot claim the daily check-in, scratch cards or rewarded ads, and you cannot save favorites.
With a free account
- Everything a guest can do, plus watching free films everywhere.
- Earn tokens on Rewards and spend them on premium titles.
- Rent or buy titles with cash on the website.
- Keep My List (your favorites), your watch history and your resume point on every device.
- Up to 3 profiles on one account, including a Kids profile that hides adult titles.
Rules that apply to everyone
- Two screens at a time. One account can play on 2 devices at once. If you start a film on a third device, the device that played least recently is signed out and stops. Sign in again there when you need it.
- Mobile numbers: sign-in by mobile number takes Indian numbers only (+91, starting with 6, 7, 8 or 9).
- Prices and currency: in India you see and pay ₹; everywhere else you see and pay $. This follows the network you are on, not the Region you pick in your profile.
- Tokens are not money. They cannot be bought, sold, cashed out or moved to another account.
- Kids profiles never show adult-rated titles, not even the title's page.
- Interface language: the website and app are in English for now. Your Preferred Language is saved for later.
Every title page shows how that title can be watched. A title can offer more than one way: for example tokens and a 24-hour rental.
Free films
A free film plays without paying anything. Its page says Availability: Free to watch.
- Most free films have a few short ad breaks during the film.
- Some free films let you choose before they start. You see How would you like to watch? with Watch with ads (free, a few short breaks) or Watch uninterrupted (no breaks, for a small number of tokens, 3 unless the title says otherwise). If you are short of tokens you can watch a few short ads right there to earn them.
- If an ad blocker is on, a free film with ads asks you to turn it off: Please turn off your ad blocker. Turn it off for buddycinemas.com and press I've turned it off — check again, or watch ad-free with tokens if that is offered.
- Trailers and teasers always play, even for guests.
Unlock with tokens
A premium title can be unlocked with the tokens you earned.
- On the title's page press Unlock · N Tokens (in the app, 🪙 Unlock · N Tokens).
- On the website, check You are unlocking and Your Balance, then press Unlock with 1-Click.
- You see Unlocked successfully! Enjoy watching. Press Play.
- Not enough tokens? You see Insufficient Tokens and how many more you need. Press Earn Free Tokens to go to Rewards.
- Some series offer This Episode or Whole Series, each with its own token price.
- A token unlock normally lasts for good. A title can have a time limit instead: the unlock window tells you before you spend ("You can watch for 2 days from now…"), Profile → Billing shows Active until a date, and after that you unlock it again.
- Some titles are not sold for tokens at all. Then the button offers cash instead, or the title says it is not available to buy right now.
Rent for 24 hours
Films and series can be rented for 24 hours on the website.
- Sign in, open the title and press Rent or buy (or Use Cash if both tokens and cash are offered).
- Press Rent for 24 hours with its price.
- Note the Ref in the message that appears, for example Payment started — Ref: 7KQ2M9. Then pay on the payment page (in India by card, UPI or net banking).
- You come back to the title. It plays as soon as the payment is confirmed, usually within a minute.
- The 24 hours start when your payment is confirmed, not when you press Play.
- Renting a series unlocks every episode of it.
- The price shown is before tax. GST is added on the payment page in India.
- When the 24 hours end the title locks again. Rent it again for another 24 hours.
- In the phone app you cannot pay cash. A title you rented on the website plays in the app on the same account.
Buy for a year
Films and series can also be bought for one year on the website. The steps are the same as renting; press Buy — 1 year access instead.
- Access lasts 365 days from the moment your payment is confirmed.
- The price shown is before tax; GST is added on the payment page in India.
- A title is sold only in the ways its page shows. If Buy — 1 year access is missing, that title is not sold that way.
Shorts at one price
A short film can carry one fixed price instead of a rental. Pay it once on the website and the short stays unlocked: it does not expire.
- The Shorts tab plays free shorts only. Paid shorts are found on Browse, under Short Films.
- As with every cash payment, it is made on the website, the price shown is before tax, and it plays in the app afterwards.
- Your purchases: on the website, Profile → Billing. Unlocked Content lists every title you can open and how (Tokens, Rental, Purchase) with Permanent Access, Active until a date and time, Expired or Refunded. Purchase History lists every payment with its Ref, total and status. In the app it is Profile → Unlocked.
- Your invoice: press the invoice number in Purchase History to open your tax invoice. It is always there, whether or not an email arrives.
- Receipt email: a receipt may also arrive by email at the address on your account, naming the title and how long you have it (for example "24-Hour Rental"). Accounts made with a mobile number only have no email address, so they get no email.
- When a rental ends: the title locks again exactly 24 hours (or 365 days) after the payment was confirmed. Nothing is charged again.
- Paid but still locked? Refresh the title's page after a minute. Check you are signed in to the account that paid. If it is still locked, write to support with the Ref (see Questions).
- Refunds: there is no refund button. Write to support with your Ref and the reason. Refunds are decided by our team under the Refund & Cancellation Policy (in the footer). If a refund is made, the title locks again straight away and Purchase History shows it as refunded with a credit note.
- Tokens that expire: tokens you earn last 30 days from the day you earned each one. Tokens are spent oldest first, so an active account rarely loses any. When some are about to expire you may get a reminder. A title you already unlocked stays unlocked when tokens expire.
All earning happens on Rewards (in the website's menu, or the Rewards tab in the app). You need to be signed in.
- Daily Check-In: press Claim Streak once a day. Day 1 of a streak gives 2 tokens, day 2 gives 4, and so on up to 10 tokens a day. Miss a full day (India time) and the streak starts again at day 1.
- Scratch Cards: press Scratch off Card and scratch the foil. Each card gives a random number of tokens, from 1 to 10. You get 3 cards a day.
- Watch Video Ads (website only): press Watch Ad Video and watch to the end. Each ad gives 1 token, up to 15 ads a day.
- Promo Voucher Center: cards BuddyCinemas sends you appear here. Pick one and press Scratch Ticket before it expires.
- New days start at midnight India time.
- The Transaction Ledger History at the bottom shows every token in and out.
- The amounts above are the usual ones; Rewards always shows today's numbers.
On a phone the website has a bar at the bottom with Home, Shorts, Favorites and Rewards. On a computer the same links are in the top bar, with Browse and Profile. The top bar also has search, the bell for notifications and your token balance.
Home page
The home page, buddycinemas.com, opens with a large featured title (Play, More Info) and rows of titles chosen by our editors.
- Continue Watching and My List rows appear once you are signed in.
- Press a row's See All to see the whole row on Browse.
- Lower down, All titles, A–Z lists every title, with letters to jump through it.
- The bell in the top bar shows your notifications. Press one to open it, the cross to dismiss it, or Mark all read.
Sign-in page
buddycinemas.com/auth is where you sign in or make an account. The steps are in Getting started.
- The buttons are Continue with mobile number, Continue with Google, Continue with Apple and Email me a sign-in code. A button marked Coming soon does nothing yet.
- Continue browsing as guest takes you back without signing in.
- If the screen says Too many tries. Please wait N minutes and try again., wait that long and ask for one code.
- That code is wrong or has expired. means a typo, a code older than 5 minutes, or an older code after a newer one was sent.
Email and password sign-in
buddycinemas.com/auth/email is only for the few accounts that were given an email and password. It is not linked from the sign-in page.
- Type your Email Address and password.
- Press Sign In.
Use Forgot password? if you do not remember it. New accounts are not made here; use the sign-in page.
Forgot your password
buddycinemas.com/forgot-password sends a reset link to an email-and-password account.
- Type the email on your account and press Send reset link.
- You see that a link was sent if that email exists. Check your inbox and spam folder.
Accounts made with Google, Apple or a mobile number have no password. Sign in the way you made the account.
Set a new password
The link in the reset email opens this page.
- Type a New Password: at least 8 characters, with one capital letter and one number.
- Press Reset password. You see Password updated. Redirecting you to sign in…
If it says This reset link is invalid or has expired, press Request a new one.
Browse page
buddycinemas.com/browse shows the whole catalogue.
- Filter by type: All Content, Films, Web Series, Short Series, Short Films, Teasers & Trailers.
- Type in the box to narrow the list by title, tag or language. Advanced opens the search page.
- Show more loads more titles. Clear Filters resets everything.
Search page
buddycinemas.com/search finds titles by name, tag or language, in English or in Telugu, Hindi and other scripts.
- Press the search icon in the top bar, or open the search page.
- Start typing. Suggestions appear as you type; press one to open it.
- Filter the results with All, Films, Web Series, Short Series, Shorts or Trailers.
No titles found means nothing matched: try fewer letters or another spelling.
Title page
Every title has its own page, buddycinemas.com/watch/ followed by the title's name.
- At the top: type, genre, language, year, certificate, running time and, for premium titles, the token price.
- The main button tells you what you can do: Play, Sign in to watch, Unlock · N Tokens, Rent or buy, or Earn Tokens.
- The small buttons save the title to My List, like or dislike it, and Share it.
- Series show their episodes below. Some episodes are free; others say how to unlock them.
- More Like This suggests similar titles.
- An adult-rated title asks Mature Content first. On a Kids profile it shows Not available on this profile instead, with Switch profile.
Player
Pressing Play opens the player.
- Your place is saved every few seconds, so you can carry on later on any device.
- Series start where you left off: Finding where you left off...
- You're in line means many people are starting films at once. It starts by itself in a few seconds; you do not need to refresh.
- Free films may stop for a short ad break and carry on by themselves afterwards.
- On a short film, the side buttons are Like, Save, Share and Report (to tell us about inappropriate content, a copyright problem or spam).
- Return goes back to the page you came from.
If the player shows Couldn't start playback, read the message and press Try again. Your session has expired. Sign in again to keep watching. means you were signed out: sign in again. Stream Error means the browser could not play the film; try another browser or the app.
Shorts page
Shorts in the bottom bar jumps straight into a free short film. Swipe up or down (or use the arrow keys) for the next one.
- Only free short films play here. Short series and paid shorts are on Browse.
- If a short is a clip from a film, Watch the full film takes you to the film.
- If there are no free shorts you see No free shorts available yet. with Browse All Shorts.
Favorites page
buddycinemas.com/favorites shows every title you saved with Add to My List.
- Press the heart on a card to remove it.
- Each profile has its own list.
- Guests see Sign in to start saving favorites.
Rewards page
buddycinemas.com/rewards is where you earn tokens. The steps are in Earning tokens.
- Buddy Wallet shows your Bonus Tokens (the ones you earned).
- The cards are Daily Check-In, Scratch Cards and Watch Video Ads, each with today's limit.
- Promo Voucher Center holds any scratch cards sent to you.
- Transaction Ledger History lists every token you earned or spent.
- Guests see Sign in to start earning tokens at the top; the cards work once you sign in.
Profile page
buddycinemas.com/profile is your account. Open it from the avatar in the top bar.
- Overview: your name (press the pencil to change it), Switch Account, Sign Out, Sign-in & security (add or change your email, mobile number, Google or Apple sign-in) and your totals.
- My List and Watch History (remove one title, or Clear All).
- Billing: your unlocked titles, payments and invoices (see After you pay).
- Notifications: choose which messages you want, then Save Preferences.
- Language: your Preferred Language and Region. They are saved but do not change the language or currency yet.
- Privacy: Signed-in Devices with Sign out for each other device or Sign out everywhere else; Download My Data; and the Danger Zone.
- Content Prefs and Profiles: add up to 3 profiles (+ Add Profile, tick Kids profile for a child), Rename or Switch.
Deleting your account: Privacy → Delete Account Data (DPDP Request), then confirm. Your account is disabled and playback stops while our team processes it. Until then you can press Reactivate My Account. Invoices are kept, as the law requires.
How it works page
buddycinemas.com/guide is this guide. Open it from How it works in the footer of any page.
FAQ page
buddycinemas.com/help has short answers to common questions, written by our team. Where it and this guide disagree, this guide describes how the website and app work today.
About page
buddycinemas.com/about tells you about BuddyCinemas and the company behind it.
Contact page
buddycinemas.com/contact has the ways to reach us. You can also write to hello@buddycinemas.com, shown at the bottom of every page.
Policy pages
The footer links to the Terms of Use, Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy, Refund & Cancellation Policy, Grievance Redressal & Copyright Policy, Corporate Information, Legal Notices and Account & Data Deletion. Each opens at buddycinemas.com/legal/ and its name.
Cookie settings in the footer lets you change your cookie choice at any time.
Offline page
If you lose your connection while moving between pages, you see You're Offline. Films cannot be downloaded; BuddyCinemas needs the internet. Reconnect and press Retry.
The app has four tabs at the bottom: Home, Shorts, Favorites and Rewards. At the top of each tab: search, the bell, your token balance and the profile button.
Home tab
The same featured title and rows as the website. Tap a title to open it. Continue Watching and My List rows appear once you are signed in.
Sign In screen
Tap the profile button, then Sign In / Create Account, or any button that asks you to sign in.
- Sign in with Apple (iPhone only), Continue with Google and Continue with mobile number sign you in, or make an account the first time.
- Under already have an account: Email me a sign-in code and Sign in with email and password, for accounts you already have.
- Continue as Guest closes the screen.
The mobile-number and email-code steps are the same as on the website (see Getting started).
Title screen
Tapping a title opens its screen: artwork, story, details, and the main button.
- ▶ Play when you can watch it.
- Sign in to unlock when you are a guest and the title is premium.
- 🪙 Unlock · N Tokens to unlock it with your tokens.
- Not available to buy in the app. when the title is sold for cash only. If you already unlocked it on your BuddyCinemas account, press Check again and it plays.
- Below: save, like, dislike, share, the episodes of a series, and More Like This.
After you open a few titles the app may ask to send you notifications. Say yes to hear about new films.
Player screen
The app's full-screen player.
- Your place is saved as you watch, the same as on the website.
- Turn the phone sideways, or tap the full-screen button, to fill the screen. A series has an episodes button.
- On a short series, the side buttons are Save, Like, Share and Report.
- For a premium title you have not unlocked, it shows Unlock to Watch with Unlock with Tokens.
- This video could not be loaded. means a connection problem: check your connection and tap Try again.
- If you are a guest, you may be invited to make a free account when you leave the player.
Shorts tab
Opens a free short film straight away; swipe for the next one. Go back to see a grid of shorts with a Quick search... box and Shorts / Short Series filters.
Search screen
Tap the search icon. Type a title, tag or language and filter by Films, Web Series, Short Series, Shorts or Trailers. The app searches the spelling you type; for searches in other scripts use the website's search.
Favorites tab
Titles you saved. Tap the heart on a card to add or remove it. Guests see Sign in to start saving favorites.
Rewards tab
The same Daily Check-In, Scratch Cards and Promo Voucher Center as the website, with your token balance and Transaction Ledger History. Rewarded video ads are on the website only for now. Guests see Sign up free to start earning.
Notifications screen
Tap the bell. Your messages from BuddyCinemas, newest first; tap one to open it, or Mark all read. Guests see Sign in to see your notifications. A push notification about a new film opens that film's screen.
Profile screen
Tap the profile button at the top right.
- Overview: your name, Switch Account, Sign Out, your mobile number (Add mobile number or Change number), and Delete Account Data.
- My List, History, Unlocked (your unlocked titles and payments), Notifications, Language, Privacy, Content and Profiles.
- At the bottom: the policy pages, our email address and, when available, Chat with support.
I'm not getting the sign-in code on my phone
Check WhatsApp, not your SMS inbox: codes come on WhatsApp first. Wait 30 seconds, then press Didn't get it on WhatsApp? Send by SMS if it is shown. If you see Too many tries, wait the minutes it says and ask for one code only; every new request restarts the count. Only Indian mobile numbers work.
I signed in and my account is empty
You probably made two accounts: one with your mobile number and one with Google (or the other way round). They are separate. Sign in the way you first did. To use both ways on one account, sign in with the first, then add the other in Profile → Overview → Sign-in & security or Mobile number. A number already used by another account cannot be added; write to support.
Why do I need an account to watch?
You need one to unlock or buy premium titles, so your purchase has an account to belong to. Free films play in the app without one. On the website free films also play without one unless the website asks guests to sign in. Making an account is free and takes one tap.
I paid but the film still says Rent or Unlock
Wait a minute and refresh the page. Check you are signed in to the account that paid. Look in Profile → Billing: an Expired badge means a rental ended. If it is still locked, write to support with the Ref shown when you paid (also in Purchase History). Do not pay again.
Can I get a refund?
Write to support with your Ref and the reason. Our team decides under the Refund & Cancellation Policy. If you are refunded, the title locks again at once. Tokens are not money, so a token unlock is not refunded in money.
Where did my tokens go?
Open Rewards and read the Transaction Ledger History, newest first. Most missing tokens were spent on a title or expired: earned tokens last 30 days.
I didn't get my check-in or scratch-card tokens
Already claimed today. Come back tomorrow. means you checked in today (India time). Daily scratch cards limit reached means you used today's cards. If a reward you saw never reached your ledger, write to support with the time.
The film keeps buffering or won't start
Switch between Wi-Fi and mobile data, close other tabs and try another title. If other titles play and this one never does, tell support the title and the time. You're in line is not an error; wait a few seconds.
My film stopped and I was signed out
Your account was playing on 2 other devices, and starting a third signs out the one that played least recently. Stop watching on another device, then sign in again.
A Kids profile can't open a title
Adult-rated titles are hidden on Kids profiles. Switch to an adult profile (Switch profile on the title, or Profile → Profiles → Switch).
Can I buy a film in the app?
No. In the app you can unlock with tokens. Cash rentals and purchases are made on the website, and play in the app on the same account.
How do I delete my account or change my number?
Profile → Privacy → Delete Account Data (DPDP Request). To change your number or email, use Profile → Overview (Change number, Change email). These may ask you to sign in again first. If you lost your SIM, write to support from your account's email.
Write to hello@buddycinemas.com with the email or mobile number on your account, the title, and the Ref for anything you paid. The Contact page has other ways to reach us.