To re-download a movie you bought from Apple, open the Apple TV app on your iPad, tap Library, select the movie, then tap Download. Downloading it again does not require repurchasing it, and the downloaded copy can be watched offline.
Re-download a purchased movie from the Apple TV app
- Open the Apple TV app on your iPad.
- Tap Library.
- Tap the purchased movie you want to save to the iPad.
- Tap the Download button and wait for the download to finish.
These are Apple’s current steps for iPhone and iPad. The movie must be downloaded before you can watch it without an internet connection. Apple’s re-download instructions
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If the movie was purchased by someone in your Family Sharing group, tap that family member in Library first, then choose the movie. Apple notes that content availability can vary by country or region.
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One-click scans. No signup required.
If the movie is missing from Library
Check these possibilities before assuming the purchase is gone:
#1 Best Overall
- WHY IPAD — The 11-inch iPad is now more capable than ever with the superfast A16 chip, a stunning Liquid Retina display, advanced cameras, fast Wi-Fi, USB-C connector, and four gorgeous colors.* iPad delivers a powerful way to create, stay connected, and get things done.
- PERFORMANCE AND STORAGE — The superfast A16 chip delivers a boost in performance for your favorite activities. And with all-day battery life, iPad is perfect for playing immersive games and editing photos and videos.* Storage starts at 128GB and goes up to 512GB.*
- 11-INCH LIQUID RETINA DISPLAY — The gorgeous Liquid Retina display is an amazing way to watch movies or draw your next masterpiece.* True Tone adjusts the display to the color temperature of the room to make viewing comfortable in any light.
- IPADOS + APPS — iPadOS makes iPad more productive, intuitive, and versatile. With iPadOS, run multiple apps at once, use Apple Pencil to write in any text field with Scribble, and edit and share photos.* iPad comes with essential apps like Safari, Messages, and Keynote, with over a million more apps designed specifically for iPad available on the App Store.
- FAST WI-FI CONNECTIVITY — Wi-Fi 6 gives you fast access to your files, uploads, and downloads, and lets you seamlessly stream your favorite shows.
- Confirm the Apple Account. Make sure the iPad is signed in with the account used to buy the movie. Apple says a missing purchase may have been made using a different Apple Account.
- Check whether the purchase is hidden. A hidden movie may not appear in Library even though it remains in purchase history. Apple’s guidance for unhiding movies and TV shows gives steps for Mac or Windows; it does not establish an iPad-only unhide procedure. Apple’s hidden-purchase guidance
- Look in Family Sharing. If another family member bought the movie and shares purchases, select that person in Library and browse their movies.
- Review the purchase history. If the item appears there but will not download, follow Apple’s troubleshooting guidance or report a problem to Apple.
- Check the connection and account association. Apple recommends connection troubleshooting for download problems. A device associated with a different Apple Account may also need to wait before it can download purchases again.
Apple’s published troubleshooting steps are available at Apple’s redownload troubleshooting page.
If the movie shows a Buy button again
On iOS and iPadOS 18.0 and later, Apple documents an issue in which a movie already in Library can display a Buy button. For that specific case, use Apple’s workaround instead of buying it again: open the Apple TV app, tap Library, find the movie, tap More, then tap Play. The support article documenting this workaround was published March 25, 2025; labels or behavior may differ in later software versions. Apple Support’s Buy-button workaround
Rank #2
- WHY IPAD — The 11-inch iPad is now more capable than ever with the superfast A16 chip, a stunning Liquid Retina display, advanced cameras, fast Wi-Fi, USB-C connector, and four gorgeous colors.* iPad delivers a powerful way to create, stay connected, and get things done.
- PERFORMANCE AND STORAGE — The superfast A16 chip delivers a boost in performance for your favorite activities. And with all-day battery life, iPad is perfect for playing immersive games and editing photos and videos.* Storage starts at 128GB and goes up to 512GB.*
- 11-INCH LIQUID RETINA DISPLAY — The gorgeous Liquid Retina display is an amazing way to watch movies or draw your next masterpiece.* True Tone adjusts the display to the color temperature of the room to make viewing comfortable in any light.
- IPADOS + APPS — iPadOS makes iPad more productive, intuitive, and versatile. With iPadOS, run multiple apps at once, use Apple Pencil to write in any text field with Scribble, and edit and share photos.* iPad comes with essential apps like Safari, Messages, and Keynote, with over a million more apps designed specifically for iPad available on the App Store.
- FAST WI-FI CONNECTIVITY — Wi-Fi 6 gives you fast access to your files, uploads, and downloads, and lets you seamlessly stream your favorite shows.
Removing a download does not remove the purchase
Deleting a movie’s downloaded copy frees space on the iPad; it does not, by itself, delete the item from your iCloud purchases. You can download it again later from Library. Apple’s iPad User Guide also says purchased items can be downloaded again without repurchasing. Apple’s iPad Library guide
Quick Recap
Best Value
Rank #4
- Smart Connector. 3.5 mm headphone jack. Stereo speakers. On/Off - Sleep/Wake. Home/Touch ID sensor. Dual microphones. Volume up/down. Nano-SIM tray (cellular models). Lightning connector
- A10 Fusion chip.
- Touch ID fingerprint sensor,
- 8MP back camera, 1. 2MP FaceTime HD front camera.
- Stereo speakers.
Rank #3
- WHY IPAD — The 11-inch iPad is now more capable than ever with the superfast A16 chip, a stunning Liquid Retina display, advanced cameras, fast Wi-Fi, USB-C connector, and four gorgeous colors.* iPad delivers a powerful way to create, stay connected, and get things done.
- PERFORMANCE AND STORAGE — The superfast A16 chip delivers a boost in performance for your favorite activities. And with all-day battery life, iPad is perfect for playing immersive games and editing photos and videos.* Storage starts at 128GB and goes up to 512GB.*
- 11-INCH LIQUID RETINA DISPLAY — The gorgeous Liquid Retina display is an amazing way to watch movies or draw your next masterpiece.* True Tone adjusts the display to the color temperature of the room to make viewing comfortable in any light.
- IPADOS + APPS — iPadOS makes iPad more productive, intuitive, and versatile. With iPadOS, run multiple apps at once, use Apple Pencil to write in any text field with Scribble, and edit and share photos.* iPad comes with essential apps like Safari, Messages, and Keynote, with over a million more apps designed specifically for iPad available on the App Store.
- FAST WI-FI CONNECTIVITY — Wi-Fi 6 gives you fast access to your files, uploads, and downloads, and lets you seamlessly stream your favorite shows.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
