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, but you cannot download content from these services on a Mac.

You tin watch Netflix, Amazon Prime number Video and Disney+ content on your Mac, to practice so you just demand to log on to the website of each service. Merely downloading is forbidden (and if you see a service that seems to advise information technology will let you to do this then it may well be malware!)

If you just wanted to download some movies to picket on your Mac during a long train journey, or an international flight, this will no doubtfulness be frustrating. Your but pick might seem to be to discover content on Apple Tv+ or use Apple'south ain iTunes Store, where you tin can hire or buy movies or Boob tube shows, and download them to your Mac. Just why pay when you could get them for free on 1 of these pop subscription services?

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

UPDATE: On xv Nov 2021 Amazon Prime Video launched a native macOS app on the Mac App Store that will allow Prime subscribers to stream and download Prime number Video content on their Macs for offline viewing. The app is gratuitous and requires macOS Big Sur (11.iv) and afterwards. Get Amazon Prime number Video for macOS here.

Y'all can get a thirty-day complimentary trial of Amazon Prime Video here.

Can AirPlay help?

You might exist wondering whether you could then utilise AirPlay to stream the content from your iPhone or iPad to the bigger screen on your Mac. AirPlay is Apple tree'southward solution for streaming from your Mac, iPad or iPhone to a Tv screen.

You might be forgiven for thinking it would be possible to stream content from your iPhone or iPad to your Mac's screen using AirPlay. After all, AirPlay is bachelor on all three devices. Prior to iOS 15 and macOS Monterey it was not possible to utilise AirPlay to stream content from your iPhone or iPad to your Mac'southward display.

Now the 2021 updates to the operating systems are hither you should be able to utilize AirPlay to send content to your Mac from an iPhone, iPad, or another Mac. You volition also be able to use your Mac every bit 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 we saw this warning:

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) then nosotros recollect this is Netflix prohibiting this, probably considering it would exist all the same could be violating Netflix's terms and conditions. If you play downloaded content on your Mac this could lead to termination of your subscription.

Every bit for AirPlay streaming, it volition non piece of work with every Mac. If your Mac is pre-2018 you will non exist able to enjoy the new characteristic. Yous'll need a MacBook Pro (2018 and later), MacBook Air (2018 and afterward), iMac (2019 and later), iMac Pro (2017), Mac mini (2020 and later on), Mac Pro (2019), and an iPhone 7 and subsequently, iPad Pro (second generation and later), iPad Air (3rd generation and later), iPad (6th generation and afterwards), 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 yous set 'Allow AirPlay for' to 'Everyone' or 'Anyone on the same network'.

Alternatives

Alternatives

While you look for the new operating systems to go far, there are other ways to stream from an iOS device to a Mac, merely you will need to install an app on your Mac. For case, AirServer (£/$14.99) or Reflector (£xvi.01/$14.99) are 2 Mac apps that can be used to stream content from your iPhone or iPad to your Mac. We have a divide commodity well-nigh streaming from iPhone or iPad to Mac.