Complete Tutorial: Downloading Films Effortlessly on Your Mac or MacBook - Expert Insights

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How to Download Movies on MacBook to Watch Offline

This is your complete guide to downloading movies on Mac for offline watching. Here you’ll learn how to download Netflix, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime, and Apple TV movies on Mac.

By Bertha Miller ｜Last updated on August 14, 2024

Mac computers offer no app to free download movies to watch offline on Macbook. The world’s video streaming service leaders, Netflix, Popcorn Time, Showbox and the likes only provide online watching while online viewing right now often incur network jam, app crash or auto quality degradation issue. How to download movies on MacBook for offline smoothly? Download movies to MacBook! There are umpteen ways to download movies to MacBook Pro/Air, read on.

Free Download Movies from Netflix YouTube on MacBook Air/Pro

Get MacX Video Converter Pro to free download 4K/1080p/3D movies from 1000+ movie sites, be it YouTube, Dailymotion, Metacafe, moviefone.com, keezmovies, imdb, pandora.tv, livestream, moviefone, break, crackle, naver, crunchyroll and more. It can also record Netflix/Disney+/Amazon Prime movies on Mac with the best sound.

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Part 1. How to Download Netflix Movies on MacBook

Netflix is always your top choice when it comes to the top streaming service to watch movies, TV series or shows. It creates countless classic originals, from House of Cards, Black Mirror to Squid Game, Arcane. The question is - when you’re in a 5-hour plane trip or long time road trip towards your summer vacation destination, you prefer to watching Netflix movies or TV series on a bigger screen for better visual experience and eye friendness. Your MacBook is superior to your iPhone iPad at this point.

Well, another question comes. Technically, you can’t directly download Netflix movies on your MacBook as there is no Netflix app for Mac version and the Netflix website doesn’t support downloading functionality that you can find on your iPhone and iPad.

In such case, you have another 3 ways to download movies from Netflix on Mac for later offline watching.

Method 1. Stream Netflix Movies from iPhone iPad to MacBook via AirPlay

AirPlay feature is natively supported by all Apple devices, from iOS iPhone iPad to macOS MacBook Pro or Air. Plus, Netflix app supports AirPlay, as well. Check the how-to guide if you have no idea about how to airplay.

Step 1. Make sure AirPlay feature is on. Generally, AirPlay feature is defaultly open on iPhone iPad, MacBook and Netflix app. If not, go to Settings to turn it on manually.

Step 2. Open the Netflix app on your iPhone or iPad > find the desired movie, TV series or show you wanna download and download them on your iOS devices.

Note: the default setting of Netflix app for iPhone is downloading movies only in Wi-Fi circumstance. If you lack strong Wi-Fi connection or have no Wi-Fi, you need to turn it off in Netflix app settings first before you download Netflix movies to iPhone.

Step 3. Go to My Downloads folder and tap your downloaded file to play it. Meanwhile, use AirPlay feature to real-time stream Netflix content from iPhone iPad screen to your MacBook bigger screen for offline watching.

In case you don’t plan to use both iPhone and MacBook for a movie watching, the second option is suitable for you. Netflix has Netflix app for Windows PC and you can have both macOS and Windows PC operating systems on your MacBook once you have Boot Camp on your MacBook. Read more details.

Method 2. Download Movies Using Netflix Windows App on MacBook via Boot Camp

Boot Camp is software developed by Apple, aiming to let you use both the macOS and Microsoft Window on your MacBook at the same time. When you need downloading Netflix movies on Macbook laptop, you just swift your operating system from macOS to Windows PC. Then, you can run Netflix app on your Windows operating system on MacBook and then download Netflix movies, TV series or TV shows to MacBook without further ado.

Method 3. Download Netflix Movies on MacBook via QuickTime Player

Don’t forget your MacBook built-in QuickTime player, which comes loaded with a Mac screen recording feature to screen capture Netflix movies on MacBook with nary an issue. More importantly, you don’t have to install anything or add any plug-in. Just follow the below steps to screen record Netflix full movie on Macbook (if you have no experience):

Step 1. Launch QuickTime Player on your Mac.

Step 2. Hit File on the menu bar at the left side of your Mac screen > select New Screen Recording from the drop-down menu.

Step 3. Click the caret next to the red record button to pick your audio options.

Step 4. Choose recording Netflix movie partially or wholly. For full screen capture, you can click anywhere on your screen and then click the prompt. To record a part of the screen, just drag the cursor from one corner of the section to the other, and then click record when prompt.

Note: QuickTime records Mac screen video footage at 30fps frame rates by default. In case higher frame rates like 60fps is what you need, please click on Apple menu icon at the upper left corner of your Mac > select System Preferences > Display > Display tab > tick the Scaled option > select Larger Text > tap OK. Then, your Netflix screen recording will be captured at 60FPS (larger in size, better in visual effects).

Step 5. Click on the red record button to begin capturing Netflix streaming movie you are playing on MacBook.

Step 6. After recording the section you need, just click the Stop button in the Menu bar on the right side of your Mac screen. When the recording is finished, your Netflix recorded file will be auto saved in .mov format, playable in Quicktime player.

Note: Not all of the Netflix movies are downloadable even though you’ve subscribed to Netflix app. In such case, your QuickTime screen recording might capture black screen if Netflix movie is DRM protected. You need to check the Netflix movie property first.

Please be noted that there are still a large number of movies and TV shows undownloadable on Netflix even though you’ve subscribed to Netflix app. If you can’t download movies from Netflix app, you can try other methods to download movies to MacBook. Keep in mind that downloading legal movies on MacBook for legal personal use and that abide by your local copyright protection law.

Part 2. How to Download Disney+ Movies on Mac

Can you download Disney plus movies on Mac? No, there is currently no official way to download Disney+ movies directly on a Mac. Disney+ doesn’t offer a downloadable app for macOS, and their download feature is limited to mobile devices. If you really need to download Disney Plus movies on Mac, you can consider the methods mentioned for Netflix.

Part 3. How to Download Amazon Prime Movies on Mac

Unlike Netflix and Disney+, which don’t offer dedicated Mac apps, Amazon Prime gives you the flexibility to download movies and shows directly on your MacBook. Here’s how:

Step 1. Open the Mac App Store and search for “Prime Video”. Then, download and install the app on your Mac.

Step 2. Launch the Prime Video app and browse the extensive library. You can search for specific titles, explore categories, or check out recommendations.

Step 3. Once you’ve found a movie or show you want to download for watching offline, click on it to open the details page. Look for the “Download” button and click it to save the content to your Mac. After that, you can enjoy your favorite Amazon Prime movies anytime, anywhere, even without an internet connection.

Downloaded videos are easily accessible. Click the “Downloads” tab at the bottom of the app to see your saved content. Here, you can manage your downloads, play them offline, or even delete them when you’re finished.

To remove a downloaded movie or show, head to the “Downloads” tab, select the title, and click the three-dot menu. Choose “Delete Download” to confirm the removal.

Part 4. How to Download Movies on MacBook from Apple TV+

If you are an Apple TV subscriber, you can download movies on MacBook from Apple TV+. But not all movies are available for download on Mac. Only movies with a download button is available for offline viewing. Follow the steps below to download movies on Mac from Apple TV+. Downloads are available for up to 30 days before they expire.

Step 1. Open the Apple TV app on your Mac. Find the movie you want to download and click on it to open its details page.

Step 2. Look for the download button (it looks like an arrow pointing downwards) and click on it. The movie will begin downloading. You can check the progress of the download by clicking on the “Downloads” button at the top of the screen. Once the download is complete, you can watch the movie offline by going to the “Library” tab in the Apple TV app and selecting the movie.

Part 5. How to Download Hulu Movies on Mac

Unfortunately, Hulu doesn’t allow downloading movies or TV shows to Mac. This restriction also applies to Windows computers, set-top boxes and gaming consoles. While there’s a Hulu app for Windows 11, it doesn’t support downloads.

To enjoy Hulu content offline, you can download it on compatible mobile devices from Apple, Android, and Amazon[1 ].

Compatible Devices:

Amazon: Fire OS 5 or higher
Android: Android 5.0 or newer
Apple: iOS 13.0 or iPadOS 13.0 or newer

You can tell if something is downloadable by looking for the download icon next to the video.

Part 6. How to Download Vudu Movies on Mac

To enjoy Vudu content on your Mac, the best option is to stream it directly through a web browser.

If you own Vudu movies or TV shows and need to download them for offline viewing, you can utilize the Vudu app on your Android or iOS device[2 ].

Part 7. Download Movies on Macbook with Movie Downloader

1. MacX Video Converter Pro

Millions of movies, fast download speed, that’s what MacX Video Converter Pro provides. This movie downloader for MacBook allows you to free download 720p/1080p, 4K, 8K movies from Netflix, YouTube, Dailymotion, Metacafe, moviefone.com, letv.com, and other 1000+ movie sites. With GPU HW acceleration tech and High Quality Engine, it can download Bollywood Nollywood Hollywood Disney full-length movies in any format at 5X faster speed and best quality.

Meanwhile, you can use its Mac screen recording feature to record Netflix movies, Amazon Prime movies, Apple TV contents for offline legal personal watching on MacBook.

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The downloads above are for Windows and Mac only. If you are a mobile user, please click here .

How to Download Free Netflix Movies on MacBook Pro/Air/iMac

It fully supports macOS Ventura and earlier. Its Windows version is compatible with Windows 11 and earlier. And the program has updated to be able to save 4K (3840 X 2160) and 8K UHD movies on Mac without stuttering. Use the following steps to download films on Macbook to watch offline.

Step 1. Free download this solid movie downloader on MacBook and run it. Find the movie you wanna download and open it.

Step 2. Copy and paste the URL of the movie, movie trailer, TV shows etc. To the box frame and click “analyze” button. Choose resolution, codec, format and file size.

Step 3. Select and destination folder to save Netflix movies to MacBook Pro/Air, and click “Download Now” button to start free full movies download on your MacBook. Now, you can watch free downloaded movies on Macbook offline for flight, etc.

2. 4K Video Downloader for Mac

If you come across some movies, 3D cartoons or 360 degree videos on YouTube, you can resort to 4K Video Downloader to download them to your MacBook Pro or MacBook Air. This free MacBook movie downloader makes it simple and painless to free download movies to MacBook from YouTube, Facebook, tiktok, etc. various websites in 720p, 1080p, even 4K 2160p.

Another nice touch is the Smart Mode feature, which allows you to configure your preferred settings for video quality, format, and download location. Once set, you can apply these settings to all future Mac movies downloads automatically.

How to free download 1080p/4K movies on MacBook?

Step 1. Free download, install and launch the free movie downloader for Macbook. You will see a clean and user-friendly interface. BTW, this movie downloader for mac also works on Windows PC and Linux.

Step 2. Copy the movie URL. Go to your Safari web browser and find the movie you want to download on the movie download site like Youtube or alike. Copy the URL of the 1080p/4K movie from the address bar.

Step 3. Return to 4K Video Downloader, and in the main window, click on the “Paste Link” button. The software will automatically analyze the URL and display download options.

How to Download 4K/1080p Movies on Macbook

Step 4. Choose the output movie quality, format (e.g., MP4), and where you want to save the downloaded file on your Mac. Make your selections accordingly.

Step 5. Click the “Download” button once all the download settings are configured. Then the downloading will spring into action and it will display the status of each download, including the download speed and estimated time remaining. After the downloading, you can eventually open the downloaded movie files on your Macbook to watch offline.

Remember to respect copyright laws and only download movies that you have the legal right to access and store offline. Downloading copyrighted material without permission may violate copyright laws in your country.

3. VideoDuke

VideoDuke is a Mac video downloader software that enables you to free download online videos, as well as full movies from a variety of websites, YouTube included in MP4, FLV, 3GP, etc. format. Two modes are well-designed for different users’ needs. The Simple Mode offers a quick and straightforward way to download HD movies: paste the movie URL, select the quality, and click the Download button.

The Advanced Mode provides more control over the download process. Users can access the video resources on the web page, such as video, audio, or other media files, and choose the specific files to download. After downloads, its built-in video player lets you preview and play the final downloaded movie.

Certainly, this MacBook movie downloader comes with two versions, free and paid versions. The free version’s restrictions (e.g., speed, quality, priority support) will vanish once you upgrade to its Pro version.

How to use VideoDuke to free download movies on MacBook?

Step 1. Download and Install VideoDuke. Fire it up on your Macbook after installation.

If you have a PRO version of VideoDuke, enter your license key to activate it. If you’re using the free version, you can continue with limited functionality.

Step 2. Choose the mode that best suits your needs: Simple Mode or Advanced Mode. The “Simple” mode is easier for quick downloads, while the “Advanced” mode provides more control over the download process.

Simple Mode: suggesting you pick up the “Simple” mode, you can directly paste the URL of the web page containing the movie you want to download into the input field and click “Search.” VideoDuke will analyze the page and display the available video content. Click on the video you want to download.

Advanced Mode: clicke the Advanced tab to set up your video format, codec, audio codec, resolution, etc. parameters. Then, browse the web page, select the movie you wanna save to macbook, and click the “Download” button next to it. You can also use the “Video” and “Audio” tabs to filter and download specific video or audio files from the page.

Step 3. Click the “Download” button to start the free movie download process. Once the movie download is complete, you can find it in the folder you specified as the destination during the download settings configuration.

4. Video Downloader Professional (Chrome Extension)

Simplicity and quickness jointly help Chrome browser extension win a place here. Video Downloader Professional extension is the one you can count on. It can download and save movies playing on a website to hard disk on your macbook in resolution you select (if there is any option). Plus, you’re allowed to play found MP4 movies via Google Chromecast on your TV or play it on your Google Home. You have quick access to the movies on the video list adding and you can play them at any time, without having to return to the orignial web page.

Your personal data is safe with this Chrome browser movie download extension. It won’t collect your personal data or use for any other purpose.

How to free download movies on macbook using this Chrome movie downloader extension?

Step 1. Find your desired movies on the free movie sharing sites.

Step 2. Press the green arrow on the top right corner of your Chrome browser to open this free movie downloader extension menu, where you can find the various options of movie download sources in different resolution and file size. Select your preferred one.

Step 3. Tap the green download button to begin downloading movies to macbook via Chrome downloader extension. After the job is done, you can also add it to the video list for later playback on your iPhone iPad device without limits.

Part 8. Download Movies on Macbook via Movie Download Sites

1. How to Download Movies on Macbook via mydownloadtube

The site is quite nifty and clean, not brimming with ads, only some pop ups. There are some features you will find useful in the free movie sites. For example, there are plenty of genres to choose from, such as comedy, thriller, action, drama, family, adult, and even some Netflix movies, YouTube movies, etc. The other feature I especially like is that it offers three options, watch trailer, watch online, download. Before you save movies to Android , iPhone, MacBook Pro/Air, iPad, you can watch trailer and decide whether the movie is worth your time to capture. Detailed movie info, like plot, review, rating, file size is provided.

Step 1. Choose the movie on this free movie download site via Genres. Or directly enter the movie name if you know.

Tip: you’re suggested to use a VPN service to hide your real IP if necessary. Sometimes, some of online free movie download sites would involve in copyright infringement trouble and be reported by others. Thus, if you have budget for VPN, go for it.

Step 2. This movie website will list out the movie info, including release date, ratings, genre, movie plot, movie trailer, etc. Scroll down to find the blue button (not the eye-catching yet fraudulent yellow buttons): Download. Tap Download and all the available links show up then. Just pick one at your disposal.

Step 3. Tap the “Download This Link” green button after you’re directed to a new page. You’ll be asked to install some extensions or plug-ins for successfully downloads. You need to judge the link content before you click it. After you have several bundle software installed on your MacBook, you can eventually online download movies to MacBook.

Still, have to mention that not only this one, almost any online movie download site has the same question - constantly page re-direction and numerious malware or adware asking you to install. Therefore, you have to be careful when using this kind of tool. Or you’re advised to use legal payment movie streaming services or the above-mentioned professional movie downloader for MacBook.

2. How to Download Movies on Macbook via YIFY Movies

YIFY Movies is a good place to download movies on MacBook Pro to watch offline. There are movies available in 720P, 1080P, 2160P 4k and 3D quality in small file size. You can view the details of a movie, including the genre, rating, size, length, resolutions, etc. You can start to download a movie on MacBook for flight immediately without the need to register. In fact, YTS is a peer-to-peer release group known for offering large numbers of movies as free downloads through BitTorrent.

However, as movie download is not allowed in many countries, the site suggests you to use a VPN to do it. Besides, the random redirects are quite annoying. The original website was shut down in 2015 due to legal and copyright issues. There were many mirrors, proxies, and clone sites like yts.rs, yts.mx. Just select the one that provide the move source you’d like to download on Macbook. It’s hard to tell which YTS mirrors and proxies are tricky websites. We recommend you to use a VPN to watch or download films on Macbook via YIFY.

3. How to Download Movies on Macbook via 1337x Movies

1337x Movies makes it easy to download movies for MacBook Pro offline playback. There are categories of Movie Library, TV Library, Top 100, New TVs, Anime, Music, and even some free Netflix movies, YouTube movies, Amazon Prime movies. As a popular torrent sharing website, the original 1337x site provides great content shared illegally including movies, music, games, e-books, and more. The official site is shut down, and the proxy and mirror sites already included many free movies. Many of them are clean but some are designed to spread adware or even malware. Such mirror sites should be accessible from anywhere in the world.

You can choose to stream via the site, or anonymous download. In fact, the site are regularly blocked by ISPs and mirror sites spring up. Like other online movie sites, you’d better use a VPN to hide your IP. In a word, there isn’t a movie site that’s 100% safe. Use them carefully to download movies on Macbook for offline watching.

4. How to Download Movie on MacBook with Divx Crawler

DivX Crawler is highly recommended, clean, no poping ups. You can find no places like this where you can find so many movies. It adds new movies daily, you can download new Hollywood movies to MacBook now. No sign up, no subscribtion, it is a fantastic site for free movie downloads for MacBook Pro/Air/, iPad, iPhone, iPod, Android. For free users, there’s selection limits. Paid members have access to more new blockbusters.

5. How to Download Movies on MacBook with movies4u.network

A freshly built and functional website that has gained popularity thanks to its wide selection of movies (Hollywood, Bollywood movies & web-series) and consistent download speed it offers to the customers. It provides direct G-Drive download link for fast and secure downloading.

Find a HD full movie on this movie download website and you’ll be re-directed to a new page with movie info. Don’t be fooled by the blue download button next to the movie poster. That is a link to an anonymous plug-in. Scroll down your mouse to almos the bottom of the webpage and find the green download links. Tap one “Download Links” button to begin downloading movies to MacBook free online (though you will face the annoying yet inevitable redirects).

Part 9. How to Download Movies on Mac with BitTorrent for Mac

BitTorrent I mentioned here means a BitTorrent client. Thanks to simple interface, BitTorrent for Mac is not difficult to get hang of it for novice users. It gives you access to numerous movie video files. The search box brings great convenience to find movie resources (even some free Netflix movies, Amazon Prime movies, YouTube movies, included). My beef with this solution is that it downloads movies on Macbook to one folder but leaves a large number of torrent files on desktop. Sometimes, it takes half a day to save a full movie to a Mac, which is unacceptable.

How to use BitTorrent to Download Full Movies to MacBook

Step 1. Find and download torrent files you want to your MacBook Pro/Air, or other best Mac computers for movie editing .

Step 2. Open it on BitTorrent for Mac, and the client will do the left task. Note that BitTorrent Classic, the original desktop torrent client for Mac, is not compatible with macOS 10.15 Catalina and above.

Note: The downloads can be a bit slow and unstable. Most movies on MacBook you save from the sites are formatted MKV video format. They recommend VLC media player to watch these MKV movies on Mac, but the fact is that VLC won’t play MKV HD/4K movies on MacBook. To solve this, you need to convert movies from MKV to MP4 or other Mac best formats.

Disclaimer: It’s illegal to download copyrighted material without the written authorization of the copyright owner. We don’t encourage any user to illegally download movies on Macbook. Movie fans are recommended to go to legal movie streaming sites, such as YouTube, Netflix, Hulu, HBO, Amazon Prime Video, to watch movies on Macbook.

Part 10. Download Movies on MacBook with Popcorn Time for Mac

On top of the above mentioned ways to download movies, TV shows or episodes on MacBook M1/M2, there is still one free way left - popcorn time for Mac. Unlike Windows or iOS, Popcorn Time for Mac is much more demanding since Mac has a built-in security system that does not like it when users try to download unknown, third-party applications. That being said, you can still install Popcorn Time on Macbook after more daunting tasks. But the result is very worth it. If you’re meant to use popcorn time to download or stream movies on MacBook Air/Pro, read on and download Popcorn Time on your MacBook:

Step 1. Visit its official page https://popcorntime.io/ , go straight forward its Mac edition and hit the download button. After you get the dmg file on your Mac computer, install it.

Step 2. Before installation, you need to tell your Macbook to trust this 3rd party application and allow it to install on Mac. Hence, head over to your System Preferences and navigate to Security & Privacy Preferences. Select Open Anyway on the pop-up Window. Now, you will find yourself on Popcorn Times installation guide. Follow the guide to complete the Popcorn Time on Mac installation.

Step 3. Activate your VPN service for your Popcorn time. VPN does matter a lot to Popcorn Time. If you don’t have one, google it and find a reliable one for your Popcorn Time.

Step 4. Head to Popcorn Time app now. This movie streaming app is similar to Netflix in interface. You can find and search your desired movies or TV shows either through genre or program type.

Step 5. Select the language and quality settings next to the Watch It Now button, then simply click Watch It Now! After the online playing is finished, the played movie is already saved to your MacBook Air or Pro.

Part 11. FAQs about Free Downloading Movies on MacBook

1. How do I download movies to watch offline on my Mac?

You several ways to download movies on your Mac. Here are some options - Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Google Play, Vudu, FandangoNOW, and more. They require a subscription or rental fee. Ensure that you download movies on Mac from reputable sources for personal use.

2. What services can you download movie on Mac?

There are several legal services that allow you to download movies on a Mac, such as Apple iTunes, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Disney+, and more. With a subscription, you can download movies and TV episodes to your Mac using the movie streaming app. The downloads are available for offline viewing.

3. Why won’t my movie download on my Mac?

There could be several reasons why your movie won’t download on your Mac, insufficient storage, internet connection, account issues, compatibility, content availability, app updates, etc. Not all movies may be available for download due to licensing restrictions. Make sure you are logged into the relevant service account (e.g., iTunes, Netflix) and your subscription is active. Ensure that the app you’re using is up-to-date, as outdated apps may have download issues.

4. How to download movies on Mac with Safari?

Your Mac built-in Safari browser can also support you to download some movies on MacBook Pro or Air without installing anything extra. And the operation process is damn easy, as well.

Open the Safari browser on your MacBook Pro or Air.
Open the free movie website you want to download movies from.
Click on the movie you want to download.
Right-click on the movie and select Download Linked File As.
Choose a location to save the movie and tap Save.

Your desired movie will be downloaded and saved to your MacBook Air or Pro. If some movies can’t be saved to your MacBook, try the following movie downloader tools.

References

How to Download 1080p HD Video for Free

Free Download high quality Movies for Limitless Playback

Review: Best Free Video Downloader for Mac

[Updated] 17 Top Anime Sites to Watch Anime Episodes Free Online

Free Download 4K/8K/1080P Movies Full Hollywood/Hindi

Free Download Hollywood Movies Disney Marvel

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Complete Tutorial: Downloading Films Effortlessly on Your Mac or MacBook - Expert Insights