A detailed guide on downloading movies and TV shows on your iPad

This wikiHow teaches you how to purchase and download movies and TV shows directly from your iPad. The Apple TV app has replaced the Videos and iTunes apps as a one-stop-shop for movies and TV episodes. You can even use the app to download content you purchased previously in iTunes. If you're a Netflix subscriber, you'll also learn how to use the Downloads feature to download movies or show episodes to your iPad that you can watch offline.

Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Buying and Renting with the Apple TV App

  1. 1
    Open the Apple TV app. It's the black icon with an Apple logo and the word "TV" inside. If you've upgraded to iOS 13 or later, you should find the app on one of your home screens. If you don't see it, download it from the App Store.
  2. 2
    Tap Watch Now. It's the TV icon at the bottom-left corner of the screen.
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  3. 3
    Browse for a movie or show. There are several ways to navigate:[1]
    • Tiles for various categories (Movies, TV Shows, Kids, etc.) appear at the top of the screen. Tap a category to do some exploring.
    • Scroll down on the Watch Now screen to see suggestions, additional categories, networks, and promoted content from Apple.
    • Tap Search at the bottom-right corner of the screen to search for a specific movie or show.
  4. 4
    Tap a movie or show. This displays information about the movie or show, including its ratings, episodes (if applicable), and often a free trailer.
    • If you selected a show with multiple seasons, tap the Season drop-down menu at the top-left corner to browse episodes by season, then tap an episode to see its price and viewing options.
  5. 5
    Tap the price to buy or rent. Depending on the movie or show, you may see both Buy and Rent options. Rent will always be cheaper, as you'll only be able to watch the video for 30 days. Tap the desired price when you're ready.
  6. 6
    Enter your Apple ID password or use Touch ID. Once you've confirmed your identity, the selected episode or movie will be purchased and ready to watch.
    • If you don't have a payment method (e.g., a credit card) associated with your Apple ID, you'll need to enter payment information here before the movie or show will download.
  7. 7
    Tap Library once the download is complete. This displays a list of all content you've rented or purchased using this Apple ID, including the episode or movie you just bought.
  8. 8
    Tap the cloud icon to download the video. This saves the movie or episode to your iPad so you won't have to stream it over the internet. Once it's downloaded, you can tap the Play button (the sideways triangle) to watch it.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Downloading Purchased Movies and Shows using Apple TV

  1. 1
    Open the Apple TV app. It's the black icon with an Apple logo and the word "TV" inside. If you've upgraded to iOS 13 or later, you should find the app on one of your home screens. If you don't see it, download it from the App Store.
  2. 2
    Tap Library. It's the TV icon at the bottom-center part of the screen. This displays a list of all content you've bought or rented (if you're within the 30-day period) with this Apple ID. This includes movies and shows you bought from iTunes or the Videos app in the past, as well as anything you've watched on an Apple TV streaming device.
  3. 3
    Tap a movie or show. Information about the show will appear.
    • If you'd like to stream the show or movie, tap the Play button (the sideways triangle). If you started watching the video in the past with this Apple ID, the video will pick up from the place you left off.
  4. 4
    Tap the cloud icon to download the video. This saves the movie or episode to your iPad so you won't have to stream it over the internet. Once it's downloaded, you can tap the Play button (the sideways triangle) to watch it.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Using Netflix

  1. 1
    Open Netflix on your iPad. As long as you have a Netflix subscription, you can use the Netflix app to download certain movies and TV show episodes to your iPad. Look for the black icon with a red "N" on one of your home screens. Downloaded content will not count against won't count against how many screens you can watch simultaneously.[2]
  2. 2
    Tap a profile. Each profile associated with your account will have its own Downloads section.
  3. 3
    Search for a movie or show. There are several ways to find stuff to download:
    • If you only want to see movies and shows that you can download, tap Downloads at the bottom of the screen, then tap FIND MORE TO DOWNLOAD. You can then scroll down and browse categories containing movies and shows available for download.
    • If you're looking for something in particular, tap Search at the bottom of the screen to perform a search.
  4. 4
    Tap a movie or show. This displays information about the movie or show. If you select a TV show with multiple seasons, tap the Season drop-down menu under "Episodes" to episodes by season.
  5. 5
    Tap the Download icon . If an episode is available for download, you'll see the Download icon (an arrow pointing downward to a horizontal line) will appear next to the title. If it's a movie, the Download icon will appear to the right of the Share icon below the movie summary. The selected movie or episode will start downloading.
    • When the download is complete, a blue dot will appear on the Downloads icon at the bottom of the screen.
  6. 6
    Tap Downloads at the bottom of the screen. All Netflix movies and episodes you've downloaded to your iPad will appear here.
    • Tap the Play icon (the sideways triangle) when you're ready to start watching.
    • You can download up to 100 titles onto your iPad, but only if you have enough space to on the tablet to do so.
    • To delete a downloaded title, tap Edit at the top-right corner of the Downloads screen, then tap the red X next to the title.
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Community Q&A

  • Question
    What is the megabyte or gigabyte size of an average movie?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    It depends on the quality and length of the movie. It can be anywhere from 500 MB to 4 GB. Most are 1 to 2 GB.
  • Question
    How do I get a movie from a DVD onto my iPad?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    You can rip the movie from the DVD onto your PC. Then, move the file to your iPad.
  • Question
    I have rented a movie on my iPad. How do I get to it to download?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Once you've rented the movie, it should begin to download automatically.
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About This Article

Nicole Levine, MFA
Written by:
wikiHow Technology Writer
This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Nicole Levine, MFA. Nicole Levine is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. She has more than 20 years of experience creating technical documentation and leading support teams at major web hosting and software companies. Nicole also holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Portland State University and teaches composition, fiction-writing, and zine-making at various institutions. This article has been viewed 1,687,471 times.
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Co-authors: 23
Updated: January 31, 2023
Views: 1,687,471
Categories: Ipad
Article SummaryX

1. Open the Apple TV app.
2. Tap Watch Now.
3. Browse for a show or movie.
4. Tap a show or movie.
5. Tap Buy or Rent.
6. Confirm your identity.
7. Tap Library.
8. Tap the cloud icon.

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