How to Add a Movie to Your iPad Using Apple TV, iTunes, VLC, & More

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A simple guide to getting your favorite movies on your iPad
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Do you want to watch your favorite movies on your iPad even when you’re offline? There are lots of ways to download movies or TV shows onto your iPad, whether you access them through a streaming service or have the files stored on your computer. In this article, we’ll explain how to download movies for offline viewing from Apple TV and other streaming services, plus several methods for easily saving movie files from your computer to your iPad.

How to Put Movies on Your iPad

You can easily add movies to your iPad with Apple TV. Find the movie you want to watch and buy it (if necessary), then tap the down arrow icon to save it to your iPad. You can also sync movie files from your computer with Finder or iTunes, or transfer them over Wi-Fi with VLC Media Player.

Method 1
Method 1 of 6:

Apple TV App

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  1. It's the black icon with an Apple logo and "TV" inside. If you have the app installed, it'll be on one of your home screens or in a folder. If not, you can download it from the App Store. [1]
    • Use this method to buy or rent movies from the Apple TV store, which has replaced the iTunes Store as the app for movies from Apple.
    • If you have Apple TV+, many movies and TV shows are available as part of your subscription. You don’t have to purchase them to watch them.
    • You can also use the Apple TV app to view movies you purchased from Apple (using iTunes or your Apple TV streaming device) in the past.
    • While you can stream movies in the app any time as long as you’re connected to a Wi-Fi or cellular network, there’s also an option to download movies or shows for offline viewing.
  2. 2
    Search or browse for a movie. To browse movies and TV shows, tap Home in the menu bar on the left side of the screen. This will show you options that are part of your Apple TV+ subscription (if you have one) as well as movies and shows that are available to rent or buy. To see only Apple TV+ options, tap Apple TV+ in the left-hand menu bar. You can also tap Store to browse movies and shows that need to be purchased or rented. Tap Search at the top of the menu to search for a specific movie or show.
    • To see movies you’ve already purchased in the past, tap Purchases under the Library header in the left-hand menu bar.
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  3. This displays info about the movie, including its ratings, a summary, and running time. Depending on the movie, you may see several options for watching.
  4. If the movie is available for purchase through Apple, tap the Buy button that displays the price. If it's available for a 30-day rental term, you can tap the Rent button with a price. For movies that are available through Apple TV+, simply tap the Play button to start watching.
  5. Depending on your settings, you may be asked to confirm your Apple Account and password or Touch ID to confirm the purchase or rental. Once the movie is purchased, it will appear in the Library tab.
    • To start streaming the video now, tap the Play button on the movie. You can also continue with this method to learn how to download the movie to your tablet.
  6. 6
    Find movies you’ve purchased or rented in the Library tab. In the menu bar at the left side of the screen, tap Purchases under the Library header. You may need to tap Library to expand this section if it’s collapsed. Select the movie you want to watch and tap Play to start playing it.
  7. 7
    Download movies or TV shows for offline viewing. If you want to watch your movie or show offline, you can download it. If the movie isn’t available through Apple TV+, you’ll need to buy it first. Then: [2]
    • Tap the title of the movie, show, or episode you want to download.
    • Tap the down arrow icon ↓ in the upper-right corner of the screen.
    • Wait for the download process to complete. This may take a few minutes, depending on the strength of your Wi-Fi or cellular connection.
    • Under the Library header in the left-hand menu bar, tap Downloaded . You’ll find all your downloaded movies and TV shows here.
      • To remove a movie from your downloads and free up space, tap the ••• icon to the right of the movie and select Remove Download . Tap Remove Download again to confirm.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 6:

Sync with Finder (Mac)

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  1. It's the first icon on the Dock, which is usually at the bottom of the screen.
    • As of the release of Catalina, iTunes is no longer included in macOS. The syncing process is now done through Finder.
    • If you are using Windows or a Mac running an earlier version of macOS, try another method.
  2. Plug in your iPad with a USB (or USB-C) cable. Once your Mac recognizes your iPad, it will appear in the left panel under Locations .
    • You may be prompted to trust your computer on your iPad. If so, tap Trust , then enter your iPad’s passcode to confirm.
    • Your Mac might prompt you to allow your iPad to connect. If so, click Allow .
  3. Some information about your iPad will appear.
  4. 4
    Click the Movies tab. It's at the top of the right panel. This displays the movies on your Mac that can be synced to your iPad. [3]
  5. It's near the top of the right panel.
  6. By default, all the movies in your Mac’s Movies folder will be synced to your iPad. If you only want to sync a selection of movies, uncheck the boxes next to the movies you don’t want to include.
    • You can also check the box next to Automatically include: and then select an option from the drop-down (such as “3 most recent” or “5 most recent unwatched”).
  7. It's at the bottom-right corner of the right panel. This syncs the selected movies to your iPad.
  8. 8
    Drag and drop home videos into the iPad window to sync them. The steps above work for syncing movies and TV shows that you’ve downloaded onto your Mac from Apple TV or the old iTunes store. They won’t for home videos you took with a phone or camera, or random videos you downloaded from the internet. To add home videos or other downloads to your iPad:
    • Open a second Finder window and navigate to the video you want to sync.
    • Drag and drop the video you want to sync into your iPad’s Movies tab in the first Finder window.
  9. 9
    Watch synced movies in the Apple TV app. The Apple TV app is the black icon with an Apple logo and the letters "TV" inside. If you don't have it on your iPad, you can download it from the App Store. Once you open the app, find your movies under the Library header in the left-hand menu pane.
    • Home videos that you added manually to your iPad will appear in the Home Videos tab under Library .
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Method 3
Method 3 of 6:

Sync with iTunes (Windows, Older Macs)

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  1. If you have an earlier version of macOS that still has iTunes installed, click the music note icon on the Dock to open iTunes. If you're using Windows, click iTunes in your Start menu.
    • If you're using macOS Catalina or later, see the Sync with Finder method instead.
    • You can also do this with the Apple Devices app on a Windows computer. The steps are similar. [4]
  2. Use a USB or USB-C cable to connect your iPad to your computer. Once iTunes recognizes your iPad, an iPad button will appear near the top of the app.
    • You may be prompted to trust the computer on your iPad, and/or to allow your iPad to connect to the computer.
  3. It's the button that looks like an iPad or iPhone near the top-left corner of the app (to the right of the drop-down menu). [5]
    • If you’re using Apple Devices, you’ll see it in the left menu bar instead.
  4. This will display a list of movies that can be synced to your iPad.
  5. It's near the top of the right panel.
  6. Add a checkmark to the box beside any movie you want to copy to your iPad.
  7. It's at the bottom-right corner of the right panel. This should begin syncing the selected movies to your iPad.
    • If the movies don't start syncing, click Sync after clicking Apply . [6]
  8. 8
    Drag and drop home movies to add them manually. The steps above work for syncing movies and TV shows that you’ve downloaded onto your Mac from Apple TV or the old iTunes store. They won’t for home videos you took with a phone or camera, or random videos you downloaded from the internet. To add home videos or other downloads to your iPad:
    • Open a Finder or File Explorer window and navigate to the video you want to sync.
    • Drag and drop the video you want to sync into your iPad’s Movies tab in iTunes or Apple Devices.
  9. 9
    Watch synced movies in the Apple TV app. The Apple TV app is the black icon with an Apple logo and the letters "TV" inside. If you don't have it on your iPad, you can download it from the App Store. Once you open the app, find your movies under the Library header in the left menu pane.
    • You can find home videos and other videos you added manually in the Home Videos tab under Library .
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Method 4
Method 4 of 6:

Download from iCloud

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  1. 1
    Enable iCloud Drive on your iPad. If you have a video file on your computer that you didn't get through iTunes or Apple TV (such as a DVD you ripped), you can use a cloud storage app to get the file onto your iPad. There are a variety of options, but iCloud Drive is an option that's already included with your iPad. Start by making sure iCloud Drive is enabled:
    • Open the Settings app.
    • Tap your name at the top.
    • Tap iCloud .
    • Under Saved to iCloud , tap Drive . If you don’t see it, tap See All > Drive . Make sure the switch next to Sync this iPad is toggled to the On (green) position.
  2. Go to www.icloud.com on your computer. You can use your iCloud Drive storage to transfer large files, including movie files, between your computer and iPad. Start by visiting the iCloud website in any web browser.
    • If you don't have a video player on your iPad that plays a variety of video files, you may need to install one. One reliable option is VLC Media Player, which is available for free from the App Store. See How to Download and Install VLC Media Player to learn how.
  3. 3
    Sign in with your Apple Account. Click Sign In and enter your Apple Account information. Make sure to use the same Apple Account you use to sign in to your iPad.
  4. 4
    Click theDrive control panel. It’s a box near the top of the page with a cloud icon that says “Drive.” Click Drive at the top to open the iCloud Drive page.
  5. To drag it to a specific folder, click Browse in the left menu bar and double-click the folder where you want to put the video. Then, drag the video from Finder/File Explorer or your desktop into the main iCloud window in your browser. This will upload the file to your iCloud account. Once the upload is complete, you'll be able to access the file on your iPad.
    • Another way to upload the file is to click the cloud icon with an arrow at the top of the page, browse to the file, and then double-click it to start the upload.
    • If you don't have enough space in your iCloud Drive to store the video, you'll either need to remove items from iCloud Drive or upgrade your iCloud storage. You can also use a different cloud storage solution, such as Dropbox, to transfer files.
  6. The icon looks like a blue folder. You'll find it on one of your home screens, in a folder, or by searching.
  7. 7
    Tap iCloud Drive . It's under the Locations header in the menu bar on the left. This displays the contents of your iCloud drive, including the video file you uploaded.
  8. A menu will expand.
  9. 9
    Tap Download Now . It’s near the top of the menu.
  10. For example, if you downloaded VLC media player, open it, then navigate to the video file.
    • If you want, you can play the video directly from iCloud Drive. Simply tap the video to start playing it.
    • The right way to open the file in a media player app depends on the app. For instance, in VLC, tap Browse at the bottom of the screen, then tap Local files in the left-hand menu bar. Tap Recents or iCloud Drive to find your video. Select it and tap Open .
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Method 5
Method 5 of 6:

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  1. 1
    Set up SMB file sharing on your computer. This method will allow you to wirelessly share movies and other video files from your Mac or PC to your iPad. To get started, you’ll need to create an SMB server on your computer. The right way to do this depends on your operating system.
    • Mac: [7]
      • Go to Apple menu > System Settings > General .
      • Scroll down and click Sharing .
      • Click theinfo button next to File Sharing and toggle File Sharing on.
      • Click the Options button and toggle on the switch next to Share files and folders using SMB .
      • Click Done .
    • Windows: [8]
      • Open the Control Panel and click Programs . If you don’t see it, you might need to switch to Category in the View by drop-down.
      • Select Turn Windows features on or off under the Programs and Features header.
      • Scroll down to SMB 1.0/CIFS File Sharing Support feature and check the boxes next to SMB 1.0/CIFS Client and SMB 1.0/CIFS Server . Click OK .
      • Select Restart in the window that pops up.
      • After your computer restarts, open the Control Panel again. Click View network status and tasks link under the Network and Internet header.
      • Click Change advanced sharing settings in the left side menu bar.
      • Click the radio button next to Turn on network discovery . Uncheck the box next to Turn on automatic setup of network connected devices .
      • Select the radio button next to Turn on file and printer sharing .
      • Click Save Changes . Enter your administrator password if prompted.
  2. 2
    Download VLC Media Player onto your iPad. VLC Media Player is a free, versatile media player app that allows you to transfer videos onto your iPad in a variety of ways. You can find it in the App Store.
  3. 3
    Allow VLC to detect other devices on your network. This option should appear when you first open the app. Tap Allow .
  4. 4
    Open the Browse tab. It’s at the bottom of the screen.
  5. 5
    Tap your computer’s name under the “File Servers” header. You’ll see available computers on your network at the bottom of the Browse menu. Tap the name of the computer where your video is hosted.
  6. 6
    Tap Connect in the top right corner. An authentication window will open.
  7. 7
    Enter the administrator account name and password for your computer. This is the same information you use to log into your computer. Tap Login .
  8. 8
    Open the folder where your movie is stored. When you log in successfully, you’ll see a directory of shared folders on your computer in the VLC app. Tap the folder where your movie is stored to open it. You may need to navigate through several subfolders to get to your video.
  9. 9
    Tap the download icon ↓ next to the video you want to save. It will be saved to local storage on your iPad.
  10. 10
    Return to the main Browse tab and tap Downloads . You’ll find movies that you downloaded from your computer in this section. Tap a movie file to play it in VLC.
    • VLC media player also allows you connect to cloud services (such as DropBox, Google Drive, or OneDrive) and download media files that way. Go to Browse > Cloud Services and sign into the service where your movie is hosted.
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Method 6
Method 6 of 6:

Download from Streaming Services

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  1. 1
    Download movies from services like Netflix, Prime Video, or Hulu. Most subscription-based streaming services allow you to download movies and TV shows or episodes for offline play. While the exact steps vary from one app to another, they’re all pretty similar. Navigate to the video, TV show, or episode you want to watch and look for a download icon (this generally looks like a down arrow). Tap the icon to save the movie to your device.
    • You can typically find your downloaded videos in a section called Downloads .
    • In most cases, you can only access downloaded videos from within the app for the streaming service. They won’t be accessible from local storage on your device.
    • Other video streaming services with this feature include Disney+, YouTube Premium, Paramount+, and Crunchyroll.

Community Q&A

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  • Question
    What should I do if my iPad doesn't support recent versions of iOS?
    Community Answer
    Unfortunately, you likely need to upgrade to an iPad capable of running the latest version of iOS. Even third-party apps like Google Drive will stop working on older iPads after awhile.
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    Not Helpful 7 Helpful 4
  • Question
    How do I load the movies on my PC onto my iPad?
    Community Answer
    Connect your iPad to your computer. Go into iTunes and select your connected iPad from the list of devices. Under the iPad icon, select the "Movies" option. Then simply drag and drop the movie files you want to transfer from the folder where your movies are on your computer to the iTunes window.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
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    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
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    Not Helpful 126 Helpful 18
  • Question
    How can I directly download a movie from a site onto my iPad?
    Community Answer
    You will need a third-party app to download embedded videos (e.g., YouTube or Facebook videos). You cannot download a video file directly from a website to your iPad's hard drive.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
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      • You can use any cloud service that has an accompanying iOS app (e.g., Google Drive or Dropbox) to download and watch a movie.
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      Warnings

      • Movies take up a significant amount of space on your iPad. Make sure you have enough space on your iPad's hard drive or in your iCloud Drive before adding a movie.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203375
      2. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/118239
      3. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/sync-movies-to-your-device-mchl36119991/mac
      4. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-euro/guide/devices-windows/mchl36119991/windows
      5. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-euro/guide/itunes/itns5ecc4d98/windows
      6. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT210612
      7. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/set-up-smb-file-sharing-on-mac-mh14107/mac
      8. ↑ https://docs.videolan.me/vlc-user/ios/3.X/en/advanced/network_shares/smb.html

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      1. Open the Apple TV app.
      2. Search or browse for a movie.
      3. Tap a movie.
      4. Tap Buy or Rent .
      5. Confirm your identity.
      6. Tap Library .
      7. Select the movie.
      8. Tap the Download icon.

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