What is ITVX and do you need it to watch Love Island? Here's what you need to know

Wondering what is ITVX and how it's different from ITV Hub? Here's the DL on the new home of Love Island...

Love Island 2023 on ITVX/ The Love Island logo on a beach backdrop in a pink template
(Image credit: ITV Picture Desk/ Lifted Entertainment)

What is ITVX, you ask? The streaming platform has had quite the makeover and with the imminent return of winter Love Island 2023, you'll no doubt want to get to grips with how to watch Love Island UK live online and on catch-up ASAP—especially if you have to miss an episode or two of the hit dating show in the coming weeks. Here's the DL on ITVX...

As Love Island fans will know, the show—with its 10 new singles making up the 2023 cast—is returning to ITV2 on January 16th and will air every evening of the week (bar Saturday) for the next six to eight weeks. This likely means even the most hardcore fan *guilty* may be forced to miss an episode, or need to tune in an hour later—that's where ITVX enters the chat.

That being said, there are a few new things to be aware of when it comes to the newly revamped ITV player—stay tuned, we'll answer all your burning questions...

What is ITVX?

Put simply, ITVX is ITV Hub 2.0. 

The formerly named ITV Hub/Player has undergone a mega revamp and now goes by the name of ITVX. The platform allows you to watch TV shows and movies on demand and tune in live to all of ITV's channels including ITV1 and of course, the home of Love Island—ITV2.

Is ITVX free to use?

Yes, like its predecessor, ITVX is free and only requires viewers to create an account (or log in to their pre-existing ITV account) with their email and password to watch.

With your ITVX account, you can watch live TV (with a TV license of course), catch up and tune into all the on-demand series and movies in ITV's library—which includes all eight Love Island UK seasons (P.S. host Maya Jama's fave season is season three!). You can even catch both of Prince Harry's TV interviews with CBS' 60 minutes and ITV, though you will have to put up with ads...

What does ITVX Premium cost?

If you want to view without ads (minus Live TV) and have even more titles at your disposal—including BritBox—ITVX premium will cost you £5.99 a month.

Premium also allows you to download your favorite TV shows and watch offline and on the go, so if you're trying to cram in a whole Love Island series before season nine starts, this could be a good option for you.

If you want to test it out but not fully commit just yet, there's also a 7-day free trial available.

How to get subtitles on ITVX?

If you need to add subtitles to your ITVX TV shows and movies—you can see if they are available next to the title of your selected show, look for the symbol of an 'S' in a box.

Once you've selected your chosen title and the player opens, then simply click on the speech bubble icon on the bottom right of your screen—this will turn the subtitles on.

When does Love Island 2023 go up on ITVX?

If you're wondering when Love Island UK go on ITV Hub—now ITVX—as mentioned, fans will be able to watch Love Island live at 9pm on ITVX, but you can also find the episode on demand after it airs. 

Typically, the episode will be available on catch-up once the live episode ends, so at 10 pm (or 10.30pm if it's a longer installment), but sometimes there can be a delay. You can also watch all of the previous season whenever you fancy revisiting all the most memorable Love Island moments to date.

Naomi Jamieson
Lifestyle News Writer

Naomi is a Lifestyle News Writer with the Women's Lifestyle team, where she covers everything from entertainment to fashion and beauty, as well as TikTok trends for Woman&Home, after previously writing for My Imperfect Life and GoodTo. Interestingly though, Naomi actually has a background in design, having studied illustration at Plymouth University but lept into the media world in 2020, after always having a passion for writing and earned her Gold Standard diploma in Journalism with the NCTJ.


Before working for Future Publishing’s Lifestyle News team, she worked in the Ad production team. Here she wrote and designed adverts on all sorts of things, which then went into print magazines across all genres. Now, when she isn’t writing articles on celebs, fashion trends, or the newest shows on Netflix, you can find her drinking copious cups of coffee, drawing and probably online shopping.