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iTunes cannot sync movies or TV shows

iTunes cannot sync movies or TV shows to the iPhone because the Videos app is not installed.



What is going on? I do so have the videos app installed. who doesn't? Didn't even know that was an option to not have it installed.


Both Iphone and itunes are at their current versions.


Anyone else have this problem?

iPad, iOS 10.1.1

Posted on Nov 6, 2016 8:02 PM

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Question marked as Best reply

Posted on Mar 12, 2017 8:05 PM

Step 1. Right click on the file and select "Get Info"

2. When the file window pops up, select "Options" and instead of "Movie" or "Home Video", sort the file as a "Music Video".

Now you should be able to find it in the Music Videos section of iTunes, and you should be able to export it to your phone.

28 replies

Jan 7, 2017 2:30 PM in response to ray2160

Same here, I've installed the "TV" app (which used to be the old videos app) and still nothing. iMovie is installed and still nothing...


Such crap that all they do is try and funnel you to iTunes store to buy songs, tv shows and movies.


I have tons of movies on my computer that I wanted added to my phone but can't figure out how! If there is a fix to this without having to download some 3rd party crappy app please let me know!

Jul 24, 2017 10:49 PM in response to zinacef

I found the answer in three steps. After creating a slideshow in Photo and saving as a movie, I converted the movie to iPad and iPhone format, then sync to iPad or iPhone. The movie showed in iTunes on my Mac as a file now on my iPad (iPhone) but I could not find it or play it in Photos, iMovie or iTunes. I found it I n the TV app. Under Library, choose Home Movies. The files were there for viewing.

Dec 18, 2017 10:14 PM in response to trunolimit

Oh mine finally found way

1. Add video file to library by drag or File> add to library

2. File may not appear in library > go to search > type file name

3. You fill find the file

4. Still if you try to sync iphone it will say "iTunes cannot sync movies or TV shows"

5. Now go back to library and right click on the video

6. Click Video info

7. Dialog box pops up, select options change video from "Home video/Tv Show" to Music video

8. Now start sync

9. Now tell, how the heck Apple got this famous 😟 and I am still using this

Feb 7, 2018 6:08 AM in response to Adcham

Thanks you very much!

That solved the sync problem for videos AND and iTunes sync Error 54 I'd been getting! 🙂


The root cause of all this is that the iTunes sync error message should have stated specifically that the "Apple TV" app was missing. (The error message I'd gotten was simply about a TV app which I and obviously many others were not able to find!)

Feb 13, 2018 2:38 PM in response to trunolimit

To save movies on your iPad from iTunes you have to select the category "File Sharing" instead of Movies. Under that heading is listed all the apps on your iPad. Select your favorite video app. Now you can add movies from any source to that app. You no longer have to select "Sync Movies" under the Movies Tab to add movies to your iPad. Without the "Sync Movies" checked you also will no longer get the error message. All the movies are now considered shared files and come under the category "Documents and Data" instead of videos. I hope this helps.

Nov 15, 2016 8:59 PM in response to trunolimit

I've been getting this message for my iPad sometimes as well. It's either resolved itself after around the first thirty seconds of it being connected to my computer, or if not that, then from disconnecting and reconnecting it.


However -- this might be the most important point but I haven't experimented enough to say if it's the exact cause -- this was happening for me while using a third-party USB cord. Funnily enough, the transferring of a video file from computer to iPad was horrendously slow with that cord, too. The problems with that cord just weren't consistent or routine enough for me to make the correlation and immediately bother about it. But since I switched USB cords to one that actually came with my device, I've not had the same or any issues.


So perhaps try switching out the USB cord, even if yours is an authentic Apple one. It might just be "bad" or kinked in some way?

iTunes cannot sync movies or TV shows

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