Why can't I watch Apple TV on my MacBook?
Update to the latest version of the Apple TV app
Update to the latest version of iOS or iPadOS, macOS, or tvOS. If you're using a compatible smart TV, streaming device, or gaming console that's connected to the internet, the Apple TV app should update automatically.
The Apple TV app is the first place you go to start watching on your Mac. It's all your TV, all in one place. The Apple TV app is also the only place where you can subscribe to and watch Apple TV+, the all-new streaming service featuring original stories from the most creative minds in TV and film.
Make sure that your AirPlay-compatible devices are turned on and near each other. Check that the devices are updated to the latest software and are on the same Wi-Fi network. Restart the devices that you want to use with AirPlay or screen mirroring.
Sign in to or out of the Apple TV app
In the Apple TV app on your Mac, choose Account > Sign In (or Sign Out). If you forgot your Apple ID or password, click “Forgot Apple ID or Password?” and follow the onscreen instructions.
Possible root causes could be malware or virus issues, file damage, network interruption while downloading the file, issues caused by wrong video processing, and your player not supporting the file format. All of these are common and possible reasons for videos not playing on Mac.
If you have an Apple TV HD and a Mac with macOS Catalina or later: Disconnect the power and HDMI cables from Apple TV. Connect one end of a USB-C cable (sold separately) to Apple TV and the other end to your computer. Open the Finder on your computer, select Apple TV in the sidebar, then select Restore.
How to watch in a web browser. Go to tv.apple.com to subscribe to and watch Apple TV+ in a web browser. Note: If you already have an Apple ID, you can sign in to start your free trial. You may be asked to add or verify a credit card to ensure the account holder has authorized viewing on the web.
The name Apple TV is used for different products and services, which can be confusing. Apple TV is a media player and Apple TV+ is a streaming service. With the Apple TV app, you can watch the entire selection of movies and series in one place.
To download macOS software updates, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Software Update . Tip: You can also click the Apple menu—the number of available updates, if any, is shown next to System Preferences.
Check your sleep timer. Your Apple TV may be just going to sleep, and you can extend the time it will wait before it does. Open the Settings app on the Apple TV, and then go to General > Sleep After. From here, you can choose 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 5 hours, 10 hours, or Never to keep it awake at all times.
How do I turn AirPlay on my Mac?
On your Mac, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Sharing . Select the AirPlay Receiver checkbox in the service list on the left. Select which devices can use AirPlay to stream content to this Mac. Current user: Only devices signed in to your Apple ID can see and use AirPlay to stream content to this Mac.
In some cases, the problem with your Apple TV may be outdated firmware. Outdated firmware can cause crashes due to unfixed glitches that may interfere with the function of your Apple TV. Step 1: Go into Settings, and then select System. Step 2: Select Software Updates and then tap Update Software.

In the Apple TV app on your Mac, choose Account > View My Account, then sign in.
One of the best ways to watch movies on your Apple device is using the iTunes Store. Of all the ways that we shall mention in the article, the iTunes Store serves as the best way to stream and watch movies on Mac. This is because this is Mac's very own app and is thus, incredibly user-friendly.
While you could use your best iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple TV, the Apple TV app can be found on a variety of other non-Apple devices, including streaming devices, smart TVs, and gaming consoles. For streaming devices, this includes Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, and Google TV.
- Open Finder, click go and click Go to Folder.
- Type ~/Library/Caches.
- Right-click on a file.
- Click move to Trash.
If your Mac is freezing, it could be that there's an error with either the PRAM or NVRAM. Resetting them could help, and the process is the same for both. First, shut down your Mac, then turn it on and immediately press Opt+Cmd+P+R.
Insufficient bandwidth, high traffic on the video streaming site, modem issues, etc., don't let the videos to load fast. Apart from Internet issues, cache, cookies, temp files, or even outdated graphic card drivers can lead to video playback problems. A corrupt video file on a hard drive may also buffer or don't load.
Reset your Apple TV 4K or Apple TV HD
Choose a reset option: Reset: This option is the fastest way to return your Apple TV to factory settings. This option doesn't require an Internet connection. Reset and Update: This option returns your Apple TV to its factory settings and installs software updates.
- Press and hold both the Back (second-generation Siri Remote) or (first-generation Siri Remote) and TV buttons on the Siri Remote until the Apple TV status light blinks rapidly.
- Disconnect Apple TV from the power outlet, wait five seconds, then reconnect it.
Where is settings in Apple TV app?
In the Apple TV app on your Mac, choose TV > Preferences, then click a preference pane: General: Set whether your movies and shows are downloaded, are available across devices, and more. Playback: Choose options for streaming quality, download quality, multi-channel audio, and more.
No, there is no web browser on Apple TV. You cannot use safari on the Apple TV or Google Chrome because there isn't one available on the device.
Update Your Search Browser to the Latest Version.
The solution that worked for us was to update our Chrome browser version to the latest version. It is possible that the current version of your search browser may not be compatible with playing videos on Apple TV+ website.
Watch Apple TV+ on the Apple TV app, which is already on your favorite Apple devices. Just open the app, click or tap Apple TV+, and enjoy the shows and movies. You can also watch Apple TV+ on streaming platforms, popular smart TVs, and AirPlay-enabled TVs with the Apple TV app — or watch online at tv.apple.com.
Netflix is perfect for everyone looking for a variety of content, and you get great value for the money spent. Apple TV+ has excellent quality TV shows and movies. Still, the lack of content doesn't make it worthy enough for a subscription until the library grows further.
The subscription covers Apple-original content. Everything else will be the same price, regardless of whether or not someone is subscribed. Movies that say rent or buy are from the iTunes Store and not free. The subscription covers Apple-original content.
Apple TV Plus is actually priced as one of the most affordable streaming services on the market. A monthly subscription to just Apple TV Plus costs just $4.99/£4.99/€4.99 per month. It's comparable to ad-supported versions of Peacock Premium and Paramount Plus, except there aren't any ads on Apple TV Plus plans.
Apple only officially supports the three most recent versions of macOS (currently 10.15 Catalina, 11 Big Sur, and 12 Monterey). If you're running an older version of macOS, it is no longer receiving security or stability updates.
From the Apple menu in the corner of your screen, choose System Preferences. Click Software Update in the System Preferences window. Can't find Software Update? Software Update now checks for new software.
macOS | Latest version |
---|---|
macOS Catalina | 10.15.7 |
macOS Mojave | 10.14.6 |
macOS High Sierra | 10.13.6 |
macOS Sierra | 10.12.6 |
How do you play a movie on a Mac?
- Double-click the file in the Finder. If your videos or audio files are in iCloud Drive, click iCloud Drive in the Finder sidebar, then double-click your file. ...
- Choose File > Open File, then select a file, and click Open.
- Connect your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to the same Wi-Fi network as your Apple TV, AirPlay 2-compatible smart TV, or Mac. ...
- Open Control Center: ...
- Tap Screen Mirroring .
- Select your Apple TV, AirPlay 2-compatible smart TV, or Mac from the list.
Watch Apple TV+ on the Apple TV app, which is already on your favorite Apple devices. Just open the app, click or tap Apple TV+, and enjoy the shows and movies. You can also watch Apple TV+ on streaming platforms, popular smart TVs, and AirPlay-enabled TVs with the Apple TV app — or watch online at tv.apple.com.
Go to "My Movies" and select the movie you would like to save to your device. On the movie details page, select "Save Offline" (downloading a movie may take several minutes depending on your internet connection speed) Once your movie is downloaded, it will indicate it is “Saved Offline”
- Open the Apple TV app on your Mac.
- Click Watch Now.
- Scroll down to view Apple TV+, Apple TV channels, or featured movies and TV shows, then select an item.
- Select any of the following screens: Watch Now: Start watching movies, TV shows, and sports in one place.
- QuickTime for Mac. Released by Apple in 2009, QuickTime is a media player for macOS, which is free to download and easy to use. ...
- VLC Media Player for Mac. ...
- Wondershare Filmora for Mac: Play and Edit Your Videos. ...
- 5K Player. ...
- Cisdem VideoPlayer for Mac. ...
- MPlayerX. ...
- Elmedia Player.
There are more than 100 alternatives to QuickTime Player for a variety of platforms, including Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and BSD. The best alternative is VLC Media Player, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like QuickTime Player are MPC-HC, MPV, PotPlayer and SMPlayer.
AirPlay is an Apple system for screen mirroring that enables all Apple devices to wirelessly share the media, such as videos, images, music, to other devices like TVs, etc. This inbuilt feature is available in iOS devices 4.2 or the latest coming devices.
You don't need a Wi-Fi network, but you must generate a hotspot from your device to connect to the TV. Disconnect the WI-FI internet service from Mac and the Apple TV. Keep the WI-FI and Bluetooth on but don't connect to any network. Restart both the devices and then choose the Apple TV from AirPlay status menu.
Yes, you can AirPlay from MacBook, MacBook Air, or MacBook Pro models released in 2011 and later running macOS 10.8 (Mountain Lion) or later. Still, you also need to have an Apple TV device that is a second-generation model or newer.
Do you have to have an Apple device to watch Apple TV?
While you could use your best iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple TV, the Apple TV app can be found on a variety of other non-Apple devices, including streaming devices, smart TVs, and gaming consoles. For streaming devices, this includes Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, and Google TV.
You can sign up and watch Apple TV+ content through the TV app, which is available on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and the Mac, It's also available on many game consoles, smart TVs, Roku, and Fire TV devices. You can also watch Apple TV+ on a browser at tv.apple.com.
You can watch any of Apple's content on Apple TV+ for free if you have an active subscription or a trial. That includes kids shows like Snoopy in Space, mature dramas like For All Mankind, and even feature films like Hala. View all the Apple TV+ shows and movies in the Apple TV app.
Apple TV will work without Wi-Fi, allowing users to access previously downloaded games, movies, or TV shows. However, many notable features, such as live-streaming and browsing the internet with various apps, will become unavailable. Besides just television, Apple TV acts as a hub for all sorts of different media.
You need Wi-Fi to use AirPlay to stream shows from streaming services on your iOS device. However, if whatever you want to AirPlay to a TV is already in your iOS device's local storage, you can use peer-to-peer AirPlay. This creates a wireless hotspot from your iOS device, which your TV can connect to and use.
To sign in to your Netflix account on your Mac computer: Go to netflix.com. Select Sign In and follow the steps on the screen.