What Is Xumo?

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The Xumo streaming service offers something unique: short video content from dozens of channels, all tailored to your tastes, for free.

Does the world really need another streaming video service that delivers sponsored content in bite-size chunks? Xumo, a platform that aggregates corporate media for viewers in a single app, thinks so. The company wants to become a major player in the already-crowded streaming scene, and to do so, it offers something unique: content from dozens of channels, all tailored to your tastes, for free.

Since Xumo is free, you don't have much to lose by trying it, except for your time. But since time is at least as valuable a resource as money, here are a few simple facts about Xumo to let you know whether it's worth a download.

What Is Xumo?

Xumo is a streaming video platform that gathers short videos from a variety of different corporate accounts. The program offers everything from news to comedy to music, and draws from a wide range of content providers (The Onion, Bon Appetit, People, The Wall Street Journal, Sports Illustrated, Machinima, Funny or Die, Cracked, etc.). You can get Xumo as an Android or iOS app, as well as on a variety of smart TVs and Roku devices.

Where Can I Watch Xumo?

If you have a smart TV, you can search for Xumo in the device's app store. Android and iOS users can find it in the Google Play and Apple App stores, respectively. The company has also expressed interest in creating Apple TV, Chromecast and Fire TV apps in the future, although there are no solid plans for any of these services.

How Can I Create a Xumo Playlist?

Whenever you watch a video, you'll have access to a menu that lets you share that content on social media or save it to the Videos I Like playlist. Select the latter option, then click on Videos I Like in the main menu to access your playlist. You can remove videos by accessing the playlist menu and selecting "Remove from videos I like."

Is Xumo Worth Watching?

Xumo doesn't create or provide any original content, so there's a good chance it won't show you anything you can't get somewhere else. If you already catch video content from all of your favorite channels, Xumo may act as a way to concatenate all that content in a single app. On the other hand, there's little in the way of long-form content, and streaming devices are not exactly hurting for short-form content providers.

Xumo has had big plans since its debut, but is still a relatively niche channel. Keep an eye on the service if you can't get enough of short, to-the-point video clips, but feel free to give Xumo a miss if you're interested in the next great hour-long drama serial.

Marshall Honorof
Marshall Honorof

Marshall Honorof was a senior editor for Tom's Guide, overseeing the site's coverage of gaming hardware and software. He comes from a science writing background, having studied paleomammalogy, biological anthropology, and the history of science and technology. After hours, you can find him practicing taekwondo or doing deep dives on classic sci-fi.