How do I unlock episodes?

While most series on Tapas are free, some premium series have “locked” episodes, which are marked with a small lock icon. Users may unlock these exclusive episodes one at a time with Tapas Ink or Free Episode Tickets, or they may unlock multiple episodes in quick succession by using 1-Tap™ at a discounted rate. Some locked episodes may also be eligible for Wait Until Free promotions (see below). 

Unlocking episodes (Mobile)

To unlock an episode on our mobile app, select the desired episode either by tapping the thumbnail on the series screen or by swiping from the end of one episode to the next. If 1-Tap™ is enabled, swiping to the next episode will automatically unlock the locked episode with the user’s Ink.

After selecting the desired episode, the user will be directed to a page listing the available unlocking choices. Exact choices will differ depending on the number of locked episodes remaining, whether the series is completed or ongoing, and whether Tapas is currently hosting a sale or promotion for that series. 

Users may unlock one episode at a time at its full price or may unlock multiple episodes at a discounted price using the 1-Tap™ function. During a sale, users may also be able to purchase the series in bulk. Please note that bulk purchases unlock only those episodes already released at the time of purchase. Any episodes released after the bulk purchase date are not included and will need to be unlocked separately once they become available.  

Make a selection to unlock the episode and continue reading. If the user does not have sufficient Ink to unlock the episode(s) desired, they will be directed to the Ink Shop to purchase more Ink.

Unlocking episodes (Web) 

To unlock an episode on our website, select the desired episode either by clicking the thumbnail from the episode list on the series page, or by scrolling down to the next episode. Then click on the green "unlock episode" button.

After selecting the desired episode, the user will be given several unlocking choices that may vary depending on the series. For completed series, users may unlock one episode or the entire series. For ongoing series, users may unlock the current episode or all currently available episodes, but will still need to unlock any additional locked episodes released in the future.

Make a selection to unlock the episode and continue reading. If the user does not have sufficient Ink to unlock the episode(s) desired, they will be directed to the Ink Shop to purchase more Ink.

"Wait Until Free" series

“Wait Until Free” (WUF) allows users to unlock exclusive paid episodes for free! Eligible episodes are marked with a WUF icon and allow users to start a countdown clock for a preset time period indicating when the next episode can be unlocked for free, without using 1-Tap™, Free Episode Tickets, or Tapas Ink. 

Note; WUF episodes are only available via the Tapas App. Each number of WUF episodes and WUF episode wait periods vary by series. Navigate to the series details page for information on the number of WUF episodes available and episode wait periods (Image 1) as well as to see which episodes are labeled with a WUF icon as available for WUF promotions (Image 2).  

Unlocking WUF Episodes

To unlock a Wait Until Free episode, simply tap the desired thumbnail from the list of qualifying episodes to start the countdown. Once the WUF countdown completes, the episode is unlocked and the WUF icon will disappear. All episodes unlocked via WUF will appear in a Wait Until Free section in the user’s Library and will be available to read for 72 hours (beginning at the time of unlock). 

Users may unlock one episode per series each time the WUF timer completes. To continue unlocking WUF episodes, start the next WUF timer by repeating the process to open a new episode. 

"3 Hour Wait Until Free" series

“3 Hour WUF” is simply a supercharged version of “Wait Until Free” giving users access to even more premium episodes per day free of charge. Episodes available via 3Hr WUF allow users to unlock premium episodes free of charge every three hours. Just like WUF, episodes that are 3HR WUF-eligible may vary by series and are subject to WUF restrictions. 

Unlocking 3Hr WUF Episodes

Tap the desired episode to begin the 3-hour countdown. At the end of the 3 hour waiting period, the episode will unlock and a new timer on the series page will begin, indicating the amount of time left until the next premium episode automatically unlocks. Users may continue unlocking free episodes every 3 hours, and each episode will remain unlocked and available in the user’s library for 72 hours from unlock.