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how do I transfer a downloaded movie or TV show from my iPad to my Mac using Catalina?

I can transfer downloaded movies and TV shows FROM my iPad to my Mac using Finder, but the transfer only seems to work one way. If I download a movie to my iPad and then want to copy it to my Mac - now updated to macOS Catalina - how can I do this?

iMac Pro

Posted on Oct 10, 2019 3:00 PM

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Posted on Nov 10, 2019 1:22 PM

Transfer purchases definitely still exists in Catalina but it's well-hidden.


If you want to transfer a movie from iPad/iPhone to Mac:

1) on your Mac, open the TV app

2) in the left side panel, locate your device

3) right-click the device and choose Transfer Purchases


I hope this helps.


-Ben

8 replies

Oct 31, 2019 1:25 PM in response to DadToTheBear

Final answer from Apple: "I received response from our Engineering team and they have verified that “transfer purchases” is no longer an option in Catalina. They suggested to leave us feedback on Apple.com/feedback".


So, if people want Apple to add this option back in some form or another then we need to have a sufficient number of people asking for it. I've left feedback, but this is probably a case of the more the merrier...


In my case, until Apple fixes this I will be buying a lot fewer items from iTunes. When I could download for free out of home on an iPad or iPhone and then copy back to my iMac, the iTunes Store was often a reasonable option. But download charges from my ISP once I go over my limit are $5 GB. With this added cost, my purchases are anywhere from double to five - six times the price I would pay Apple, which makes the TV purchases too expensive compared with other ways of accessing the material. When a $10 movie turns into a $35 movie, there are other and cheaper options available.

Oct 10, 2019 3:06 PM in response to DadToTheBear

Assuming you have downloaded the movie from iTunes on your iPad - your downloaded content will now show up on your Mac in the TV app in the "Library" tab assuming your iPad and your Mac are signed in with the same Apple ID.


If the movie came from somewhere else you have a few options.


  • AirDrop it to yourself if your devices support that
  • Connect your iPad to your Mac, click on your device in the sidebar of the Finder, find the app you downloaded it to and see if it allows you to trasnfer the file to your Mac that way.



Oct 10, 2019 3:18 PM in response to ResortCasual

Hi ResortCasual,


Thanks for the quick reply!


Yes the movie appears in Library under devices - > iPad (same Apple ID, btw), but it does not copy over to my Mac, and there appears to be no way to copy / drag / play it from that location. All I can do is see that it exists.


Ideally I would like to be able to copy the movie to my Mac and then delete it from the iPad. In effect I was using the iPad as a bridge between a location where I have good access to download capability and my home where my download capability is substantially more limited (and my Mac is significantly less portable). This worked well prior to iTunes disappearing, as I could use iTunes to transfer the movie from the iPad to my Mac.

how do I transfer a downloaded movie or TV show from my iPad to my Mac using Catalina?

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