Want to highlight a helpful answer? Upvote!
Did someone help you, or did an answer or User Tip resolve your issue? Upvote by selecting the upvote arrow. Your feedback helps others! Learn more about when to upvote >
Did someone help you, or did an answer or User Tip resolve your issue? Upvote by selecting the upvote arrow. Your feedback helps others! Learn more about when to upvote >
I downloaded two iTunes movie rentals in anticipation of some long flights. Even though they show as "downloaded" in my TV App I can't access them in flight. With my device in airplane mode all I get is a blank screen when I start the TV App. I've searched internet and I get about 50% respondents saying you can access videos in airplane mode and the rest say no. It should be crystal clear - can I, and if so how do I?
To whom it may concern,
I am posting this in hopes that Apple will wake up and FIX this problem. This was not a problem in years past but as of December 26, 2017...it is a problem. So here is what is happening:
Step #1: You go to iTunes Store and download your favorite Movie
Step #2: You hop on a plane and then put your iPhone in Airplane Mode
Step #3: You try to watch your downloaded Movie and NO DICE 😟!
The resolution is quite simple...BEFORE you place your phone in Airplane Mode...you MUST attempt to watch the first few seconds of the movie while connected to wireless (Airport Wireless, Home Wireless before you left home, or MiFi wireless). The key is for some odd reason, Apple needs to have the Movie started and cached and then when you go into Airplane Mode to watch the movie. We also now get 48 hours instead of 24 hours to review the Movie 🙂. Or at least for me and my wife as of December 2017, we are getting 48 hours.
I hope that this is helpful and works for others in a similar fashion.
In Your Service,
Wesley
To whom it may concern,
I am posting this in hopes that Apple will wake up and FIX this problem. This was not a problem in years past but as of December 26, 2017...it is a problem. So here is what is happening:
Step #1: You go to iTunes Store and download your favorite Movie
Step #2: You hop on a plane and then put your iPhone in Airplane Mode
Step #3: You try to watch your downloaded Movie and NO DICE 😟!
The resolution is quite simple...BEFORE you place your phone in Airplane Mode...you MUST attempt to watch the first few seconds of the movie while connected to wireless (Airport Wireless, Home Wireless before you left home, or MiFi wireless). The key is for some odd reason, Apple needs to have the Movie started and cached and then when you go into Airplane Mode to watch the movie. We also now get 48 hours instead of 24 hours to review the Movie 🙂. Or at least for me and my wife as of December 2017, we are getting 48 hours.
I hope that this is helpful and works for others in a similar fashion.
In Your Service,
Wesley
Some users had luck by :
Thank you for the clear and concise reply. Is there a "workaround"... say starting the movie before boarding the plane?
I had the exact same thing happen on my flight. Downloaded several movies but I wasn't able to open the "tv" page, it said cannot connect no wifi. It seems pointless to need connection to watch videos that are already downloaded. It's weird because on one flight I was able to watch videos because I was watching before the plane took off and was able to watch during that flight but on the return flight I tried to watch them after take off and wasn't able to. Do we need to watch them before turning on airplane mode? What is the exact steps we need to do? Please fix this on your next update. I hate that we need connection to watch downloaded videos.
Hi,
This is a known issue, you should report it there : http://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone.html
If enough people report it, Apple might do something about it in the next iOS update.
Can't Watch Downloaded Movie in Airplane Mode
