It'southward one of the mysteries of the internet: you can download Netflix, Amazon and Disney+ shows on your iPad or iPhone, and fifty-fifty a Windows PC, but you cannot download content from these services on a Mac.

You can watch Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+ content on your Mac, to practise then you only demand to log on to the website of each service. But downloading is forbidden (and if you lot encounter a service that seems to advise it will permit you to practice this so information technology may well be malware!)

If you just wanted to download some movies to watch on your Mac during a long train journey, or an international flight, this volition no doubt exist frustrating. Your only option might seem to be to find content on Apple TV+ or use Apple's own iTunes Store, where you can rent or buy movies or TV shows, and download them to your Mac. But why pay when you could go them for complimentary on one of these pop subscription services?

Unfortunately in that location is just ane option if you want to download content from Netflix, Amazon or Disney+ and lookout it offline: you need to download it on your iPhone or iPad.

UPDATE: On 15 November 2021 Amazon Prime number Video launched a native macOS app on the Mac App Store that volition allow Prime subscribers to stream and download Prime Video content on their Macs for offline viewing. The app is free and requires macOS Big Sur (11.4) and subsequently. Get Amazon Prime number Video for macOS here.

You tin get a 30-day costless trial of Amazon Prime number Video here.

Can AirPlay help?

You might be wondering whether you could then use AirPlay to stream the content from your iPhone or iPad to the bigger screen on your Mac. AirPlay is Apple'due south solution for streaming from your Mac, iPad or iPhone to a TV screen.

Y'all might be forgiven for thinking it would be possible to stream content from your iPhone or iPad to your Mac'south screen using AirPlay. After all, AirPlay is available on all three devices. Prior to iOS 15 and macOS Monterey it was not possible to use AirPlay to stream content from your iPhone or iPad to your Mac's display.

Now the 2021 updates to the operating systems are here you should be able to use AirPlay to ship content to your Mac from an iPhone, iPad, or another Mac. Y'all will also be able to employ your Mac as an AirPlay speaker.

In theory the change should brand information technology possible to stream downloaded Netflix or Disney+ shows from your iPhone or iPad to your Mac. However, when we tried to stream from Netflix to our Mac we saw this warning:

Netflix on Mac

When we tried to stream from iPlayer on our iPhone to our Mac it did play (although information technology was a chip laggy) so we think this is Netflix prohibiting this, probably because information technology would be even so could exist violating Netflix's terms and conditions. If you play downloaded content on your Mac this could lead to termination of your subscription.

As for AirPlay streaming, it volition non piece of work with every Mac. If your Mac is pre-2018 you lot will not be able to enjoy the new feature. You lot'll need a MacBook Pro (2018 and afterwards), MacBook Air (2018 and later), iMac (2019 and after), iMac Pro (2017), Mac mini (2020 and later), Mac Pro (2019), and an iPhone 7 and later, iPad Pro (2nd generation and subsequently), iPad Air (3rd generation and later), iPad (6th generation and later on), or iPad mini (5th generation and afterwards). If your iPhone, iPad or Mac is older it may still exist possible to share content at a lower resolution if you lot ready 'Allow AirPlay for' to 'Everyone' or 'Anyone on the same network'.

Alternatives

Alternatives

While you lot wait for the new operating systems to arrive, there are other ways to stream from an iOS device to a Mac, only you will demand to install an app on your Mac. For instance, AirServer (£/$xiv.99) or Reflector (£xvi.01/$14.99) are 2 Mac apps that can be used to stream content from your iPhone or iPad to your Mac. We have a divide article about streaming from iPhone or iPad to Mac.