iPad is perfect for watching movies on the go. This is how you can put movies on your iPad without iTunes. You can use a cloud service and now easily download movies from Netflix and other services directly to your iPad or iPhone.
If you’re using iTunes, you need to convert your movies and then sync them with iTunes; this can take some time and be tedious. Of course, if you buy movies from the store on your iPad, it will sync directly, but for other movies you will need this guide.
Here are the methods you can use to avoid iTunes completely. The iPad can only play certain types of video files, but you can download and install video players on your iPad that will play any file type you throw at it, avoiding the need to convert movies to the right file type in the first place. This guide also includes a method that does all the conversion before transferring movies to your iPad.
Here’s how to transfer movies to your iPad or iPhone
Use Netflix to put movies on your iPhone or iPad without iTunes.
without using iTunes.
Put Movies on Your iPad Using a Cloud Storage Service
The easiest way to put movies on your iPad without using iTunes is to use Dropbox, Google Drive or another cloud storage service. It is also the most time-consuming method, and the movie must be in a file format that your iPad can recognize (.MP4 and .M4V).
This method requires you to have the cloud storage service app on your iPad, so if you are using Dropbox, be sure to download and install the following. Dropbox app from iTunes App Store. You can also download and install the desktop application on your computer. Otherwise, you will use the web interface.
To use cloud storage to transfer a movie to your iPad, simply copy the movie file and paste it into your Dropbox folder on your computer. Depending on the file size and the speed of your internet connection, syncing the movie to Dropbox may take from a few minutes to several hours.
Once it’s synced, you’ll be able to access it from the Dropbox app on your iPad. From there, you can watch either directly in the Dropbox app or in the Videos app on your iPad.
To watch the movie directly in the Dropbox app, you can start playing in the app if you have an internet connection. Otherwise, you have to tap the star icon in the top right corner and save the movie to Dropbox app to watch it offline.
Save the movie to your iPad.
If you want to transfer the movie to your iPad and watch it in the Videos app on your iPad, you need to tap the Share icon in the upper right corner and then tap .
Using Third Party Software
Perhaps the fastest and easiest way to transfer movies to your iPad without using iTunes is to take advantage of some third-party software. WALTR It really makes it easy to transfer files to your iPad, and we’ve covered that in the past.
After downloading and installing WALTR, plug your iPad into your computer and run WALTR. It should automatically detect your iPad.
From there, click the + icon in the middle of the window. Find the movie you want to transfer to your iPad and click .
From there, the movie will be converted to a file format your iPad can natively recognize if it’s not already there, and then transferred to your iPad. Depending on the size of the movie, this may take several minutes.
Once complete, WALTR will tell you that the movie has been successfully installed on your iPad.
Now open the stock app on your iPad and you should see your movie there ready to be watched.
The movie’s metadata may or may not appear depending on whether this information is embedded in the file, but all that matters is that the movie should play and be smooth. Newer versions of the software can automatically fill in information about the movie.
Download Netflix Movies to Your iPad or iPhone
You can download movies and TV shows from Netflix directly to your iPad so you can watch them when you’re offline, for example, on a plane or in a car, and you don’t want to use your data.
- Open the Netflix app.
- Find a movie you want on your iPad.
- Tap the movie title.
- Tap the Download button on the next screen.
- Wait for the movie to load.
If this is a TV show, you can choose which episodes to download individually. Not all movies and TV shows are downloadable on Netflix, but most are. The easiest way to get movies on your iPad without iTunes.
Original reporting and contributions by Craig Lloyd. Updated in July 2018 with new options and how to transfer to iPhone.
