How to Download Movies on MacBook

Can you download movies on Mac?

Yes, there are many ways to download movies on Mac. Some video streaming platforms like Apple TV+ and Amazon Prime Video have an offline viewing feature, and you can buy or rent content from iTunes before saving it to your computer.

For streaming services that don’t support downloading on Mac, there are workarounds you can use or third-party downloaders—though these can be risky.

A note from our experts: 

 

Video files take up a lot of space, so before downloading new movies to your Mac, we recommend freeing up storage. MacKeeper’s Safe Cleanup tool finds all the junk and unneeded files on your Mac, and allows you to easily remove them in just a few clicks. Here’s how to use it:

1. Download and install MacKeeper.
2. Select Safe Cleanup in the sidebar, then click Start Scan.
3. Choose the files you want to download, then select Clean Junk Files.

How to get and watch movies on MacBook legally?

To download and watch movies on MacBook legally, we like to use streaming services like Netflix and Hulu, since they make accessing lots of content easy. Free services like Tubi are also available, and you can purchase movies from iTunes.

Here are our favorite ways to get movies on Mac:

1. Downloading movies from official streaming platforms
2. Rent or buy movies via iTunes
3. Use free and legal movie sources (public domain)
4. Offline access tools

1. Downloading movies from official streaming platforms

One of the simplest ways we can download movies on MacBook is via streaming platforms. We now you have lots of options to choose from, each with their own catalog of titles. However, not all allow offline watching on Mac.

Let’s take a look at the popular services and see what our options are when it comes to downloading movies on a MacBook. Note that all of these require a paid subscription, though many offer a free trial for new customers.

1.1 Apple TV

Apple TV allows users to download movies and TV shows to their Mac so they can be enjoyed without the internet. Here’s how:

1. Open the TV app on your Mac and choose Apple TV+ in the sidebar.
2. Find and select a movie you want to download, then click the Download button in the top-right corner of the app.

A friendly hint from us: 

 

Once the download is complete, you can access it from the Downloaded section in the sidebar. If you don’t already have an Apple TV+ subscription, we recommend checking out what’s on Apple TV+ and giving it a try now that its catalog of movies and TV shows has grown.

1.2 Netflix

Many users ask us, is there a Netflix app for MacBook? Sadly, the answer is no, and you can’t use the iPhone or iPad versions on Mac either. The only way to watch the service on macOS is via a browser, and Netflix makes it impossible to legally watch movies offline on Mac.

On Apple computers with an Intel chip, we used to be able to use the Netflix app for Windows via Boot Camp and download movies that way. However, Netflix has removed offline viewing from its Windows app. It’s also not possible to use the Android version in an emulator, thanks to Netflix’s DRM protection.

1.3 Amazon Prime Video

We can get movies on Mac through Amazon Prime Video easily, thanks to the native macOS app. Try this:

1. Download Amazon Prime Video for Mac and sign into your Amazon account.
2. Find and select a movie you want to download, then click Download.

Once your movie has finished downloading, you’ll find it by clicking the Downloads tab.

1.4 Disney+

Much like Netflix, Disney+ doesn’t offer a native macOS app, and its mobile app won’t work on Mac. However, there is a workaround that allows us to enjoy Disney+ movies offline on a MacBook, which is to cast it to your computer over AirPlay from an iPhone or iPad, like so:

1. Using the Disney+ app on your iPhone or iPad, choose a movie, then tap the Download button.
2. When you’re ready to watch the movie on your Mac, go to the Disney+ app on your iPhone or iPad, then tap the Downloads tab and select your movie to start playing it.
3. Tap the AirPlay button in the top-right corner.
4. Choose your Mac. Disney+ will now start streaming the movie from your iPhone or iPad to your Mac.

1.5 Hulu

Hulu is another provider that doesn’t offer a native Mac client, but like Disney+, Hulu does support AirPlay, so we can download movies to watch on Mac with the help of an iOS or iPadOS device:

1. Using the Hulu app on iOS or iPadOS, select a movie you want to watch, then tap the Download button on the Details page.
2. Tap the Downloads button and select your movie to play it.
3. Select the AirPlay button in the video player.
4. Tap your Mac to stream the movie to it.

1.6 HBO Max

It’s not possible to download movies from HBO Max on macOS, but you can use the AirPlay trick to watch movies offline on Mac. Here’s how:

1. In the HBO Max app on iPhone or iPad, find a movie you want to watch and tap the Download button.
2. Tap the Account icon in the bottom-right, then select Downloads.
3. Start playing your movie, then select the AirPlay icon.
4. Select your MacBook to stream the movie from your iPhone to your computer.

1.7 Vudu

Following the discontinuation of the Vudu to Go app for Mac, we can’t natively download movies from the Vudu service—now called Fandango at Home—on Apple’s macOS. One way to get movies on Mac from Fandango is to use AirPlay, like so:

1. In the Fandango at Home app, find a movie you want to watch, then tap Download.
2. To stream the movie to your Mac, first play it, then tap the AirPlay button in the top-right corner.
3. Choose your Mac and the video will start streaming to it.

2. Rent or buy movies via iTunes

Many of us prefer to rent or buy the movies we want to watch, rather than stream them. If that sounds like you, we’re pleased to tell you that it couldn’t be easier to buy or rent movies from iTunes or Apple TV and download them to your MacBook.

The app you’ll need to use depends on which version of Apple’s operating system you’re running. For macOS 10.14 Mojave or earlier, you can use iTunes. However, if your MacBook is running macOS 10.15 Catalina or later, you’ll use the TV app instead.

Here’s how to buy or rent movies via iTunes on Mac:

1. Open iTunes, select Movies from the drop-down menu, then click Store.
2. Find a movie you want to see, then select the Rent button to rent it, or the Buy button to buy it.
3. After purchase, the movie will be downloaded to your iTunes library, where you can watch it at any time—even when offline.

To buy or rent movies via Apple TV on Mac:

1. Open the TV app and select Store in the sidebar.
2. Find a movie, then click either Buy or Rent.
3. After your movie has been purchased, you can find it by clicking Movies in the sidebar.

A warning from our team: 

 

Remember that content rented from Apple expires after 30 days, or 48 hours after you begin playing it. When it expires, it will be removed from your library automatically. To get rid of content you own after you’ve watched it, you’ll need to familiarize yourself with how to delete movies from Mac.

3. Use free and legal movie sources (public domain)

There are ways to watch and download movies on MacBook for free without breaking the law. Here’s a selection of free movie websites that we like to use:

• Tubi
• Pluto TV
• Amazon Freevee

You can watch some free movies, mostly public domain content that’s not under copyright, on YouTube. However, to download them for offline viewing, you’ll need YouTube Premium. Some users also ask us, is MyFlixer safe, and while many people use it, we can’t guarantee it doesn’t pose a threat.

4. Offline access tools

We’ve found that many users employ unofficial tricks to watch movies offline on Mac, like recording their screen while playing a movie to create a copy of it, or using a downloader to grab the video from a provider’s servers. However, we typically advise against using these tools for several reasons.

Firstly, they not only have limited success since almost all streaming platforms use DRM that prevents their content from being copied, but unauthorized offline access tools can be illegal. Secondly, unofficial downloaders are risky as they can leave you open to attack.

Why are unofficial movie downloaders and third-party apps risky?

So, what’s so risky about unofficial movie downloaders or third-party offline access tools? Here are the biggest risks we see:

1. They’re usually illegal: Creating copies of copyrighted content is almost always illegal. At the very least, it violates the terms of service you agreed to when signing up for a streaming service.
2. Malware and virus risks: Hackers take advantage of people looking to download movies by creating offline access tools that have hidden malware and viruses, which can lead to data loss, privacy breaches, and identity theft.
3. They can lead to bans: If a streaming platform detects that you’re using external downloaders or screen recording, they may permanently ban you from using their service.

Conclusion

There are lots of ways you can easily (and legally) download movies on MacBook. While some services like Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video support offline viewing on Mac, there are workarounds — like using AirPlay streaming — for the services that don’t. Alternatively, you can buy or rent from iTunes.

Before downloading movies, you may need to free up space on your Mac. A great way to do this is with MacKeeper’s Safe Cleanup tool, which is developed by Clario Tech and fully notarized by Apple. Safe Cleanup quickly finds and removes system junk you don’t need, such as unused language packs, log and cache files, and old Mail attachments.