It's one of the mysteries of the net: you can download Netflix, Amazon and Disney+ shows on your iPad or iPhone, and even a Windows PC, just you cannot download content from these services on a Mac.

You can watch Netflix, Amazon Prime number Video and Disney+ content on your Mac, to do so you simply need to log on to the website of each service. But downloading is forbidden (and if you see a service that seems to suggest information technology will allow you to practice this then information technology may well be malware!)

If you just wanted to download some movies to sentry on your Mac during a long train journey, or an international flying, this volition no doubt be frustrating. Your only option might seem to exist to find content on Apple Tv set+ or use Apple'southward own iTunes Shop, where you tin hire or buy movies or Television set shows, and download them to your Mac. But why pay when y'all could get them for gratis on one of these popular subscription services?

Unfortunately there is but one pick if y'all want to download content from Netflix, Amazon or Disney+ and watch information technology offline: you need to download information technology on your iPhone or iPad.

UPDATE: On 15 November 2021 Amazon Prime Video launched a native macOS app on the Mac App Shop that will allow Prime subscribers to stream and download Prime Video content on their Macs for offline viewing. The app is free and requires macOS Large Sur (11.iv) and afterwards. Become Amazon Prime Video for macOS here.

You lot tin can get a xxx-day costless trial of Amazon Prime number Video here.

Can AirPlay help?

You lot might be wondering whether you lot could then use AirPlay to stream the content from your iPhone or iPad to the bigger screen on your Mac. AirPlay is Apple'due south solution for streaming from your Mac, iPad or iPhone to a TV screen.

Yous might be forgiven for thinking it would be possible to stream content from your iPhone or iPad to your Mac'south screen using AirPlay. After all, AirPlay is available on all 3 devices. Prior to iOS 15 and macOS Monterey information technology was not possible to use AirPlay to stream content from your iPhone or iPad to your Mac's display.

At present the 2021 updates to the operating systems are here you lot should be able to use AirPlay to transport content to your Mac from an iPhone, iPad, or some other Mac. You will also exist able to use your Mac equally an AirPlay speaker.

In theory the change should make information technology possible to stream downloaded Netflix or Disney+ shows from your iPhone or iPad to your Mac. However, when we tried to stream from Netflix to our Mac nosotros saw this alert:

Netflix on Mac

When we tried to stream from iPlayer on our iPhone to our Mac it did play (although information technology was a bit laggy) so we think this is Netflix prohibiting this, probably because information technology would be still could be violating Netflix's terms and conditions. If you play downloaded content on your Mac this could atomic number 82 to termination of your subscription.

Every bit for AirPlay streaming, it volition non work with every Mac. If your Mac is pre-2018 you will non be able to enjoy the new feature. You lot'll need a MacBook Pro (2018 and afterward), MacBook Air (2018 and later), iMac (2019 and later), iMac Pro (2017), Mac mini (2020 and afterwards), Mac Pro (2019), and an iPhone 7 and afterwards, iPad Pro (2nd generation and later), iPad Air (3rd generation and later), iPad (sixth generation and after), or iPad mini (5th generation and later). If your iPhone, iPad or Mac is older it may still be possible to share content at a lower resolution if you set 'Allow AirPlay for' to 'Everyone' or 'Anyone on the same network'.

Alternatives

Alternatives

While y'all look for the new operating systems to arrive, there are other means to stream from an iOS device to a Mac, merely you lot will need to install an app on your Mac. For example, AirServer (£/$fourteen.99) or Reflector (£16.01/$14.99) are two Mac apps that can be used to stream content from your iPhone or iPad to your Mac. We have a separate commodity almost streaming from iPhone or iPad to Mac.