How to Download Movies on MacBook – A Step-by-Step Guide

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How to Download Movies on MacBook

There are multiple other ways to download a movie on your iPhone or iPad, but not a MacBook. Sadly. So MacBook users have no option but to look for alternative ways to download movies on their MacBook.

Key Takeaways

  • Install and set up the Parallels app to download Windows’ Netflix app on Mac.
  • Use the Netflix link shortcut and record your screen to save movies on your MacBook for offline watching.
  • Netflix’s screen recording goes against your agreement, and your account may get suspended.

Google the subject, and you will find yourself in a sea of solutions. The irony, though, is that only a few solutions work. So in this article, we give proven solutions to downloading movies on MacBook.

How Do I Download Movies to My Mac to Watch Offline?

If you are looking for how to download movies to your Mac to watch offline, you’ve got two options:

  • Use Parallels
  • Create a Netflix shortcut and use it as your Netflix App

Now let’s discuss these two options.

Use Parallels

You’ve probably not heard of Parallels until now. But this tool will change your life-literally. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. Let’s start with the basics.

What is Parallels, and what does it do?

Parallels is a Desktop virtualization software for Mac that allows you to use Windows and other operating systems on your Mac computer. Using this program, the guest operating system can run within macOS with the same efficiency as a native OS.

Both host and guest applications can coexist on the same Macintosh computer, or the user can launch the guest operating system as its virtual desktop.

Here’s how to install Netflix using Parallels:

  • Install the Parallels App from the App Store (The installation process is automated, so you don’t need to perform many actions). Follow the instructions below:
    • Go to App Store
    • Search Parallels
    • Click Install
  • Once the installation is complete, set up a 14-day free trial account. Use your Google account to save time.

When setup is complete, this is how your screen should look:
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  • Now go to the Windows Store
  • Type “Netflix” on the search bar
  • Click Install
  • Log in with your Netflix account details

The best part is that this process is legal, safe, and convenient.

Related: Best Website With Free Movies Online – Top Platforms in 2023

How to Download Movies on MacBook from Netflix

Once you’ve installed Netflix on your MacBook, it’s time to begin your offline watching experience. Follow the instructions below to download movies on MacBook from Netflix.

  • Type the title of the movie you’d like to download and watch offline
  • Check if the movie has a download icon. The download icon should be below the movie description.

Netflix makes things easy for you because you get the popup message below on your screen when you Launch the Netflix app.
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Now let’s proceed to the other alternative.

Related: Where to Watch Harry Potter Movies For Free

Use the Netflix Link Shortcut

This method is a little complicated, but it’s sure worth it. 

Follow the steps below:

Step #1: In your MacBook, start the Mac Automator by clicking Cmd+Space. Search Automator in the search bar.
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Step #2: Click File and choose Application to make a new app.

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Step #3: Key in, Get Specified URLs in the new window. Drag the resulting option to the empty workspace that shows on the right. 
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Step #4: Go to your favorite browser, and search Netflix. Copy the link to Netflix, then paste it into the Address bar of the URL’s workspace. 
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Step #5: On the search bar, delete the previous search and key in Display-web-pages. Drag the resulting option to the workspace too. 

Step #6: Repeat step five with Run-AppleScript
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Step #7: Paste the coding script in the image below in the Run AppleScript.
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Step #8: Save this file. Here’s how:

  • Click File
  • Click on Export
  • Name it Netflix
  • Click Save 
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Step #9: Search for the Netflix Logo on your browser and copy it
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Step #10: Right-Click the app called Netflix on your desktop and select Get-info
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Step #11: Press the icon and click CMD+V to paste the Netflix image. 
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Drag the newly made app to your docker.

You now have the Netflix app on your MacBook. 

To use the app:

  • Double-click it
  • Click OK when a pop-up appears requesting permission to access System Events.
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  • Sign in with your Netflix account
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Use Screen Recording 

Here, we will use an inbuilt feature that helps you record anything playing on your screen—including Netflix movies. So follow the steps below: 

  • Search for the title you want to save for offline viewing and click on it. 
  • Go to the Mac search bar and type QuickTime player
  • Select QuickTime
  • Click File, then now-screen-recording in the menu bar
  • Ensure audio plus video gets recorded by clicking the record button, then click “microphone” and select “internal microphone.” 
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Here’s what you need to know before using this method: 

  • Screen-recording Netflix is going against its terms and conditions, and it can cause a temporal suspension of your Account. Which is why we recommend the first alternative.
  • It’s an inconvenient method because you must wait for the program to run until the end, doing nothing with your Mac. And there must be total silence to avoid interfering with the sound of the video. 
  • Poor video quality on the saved video

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Can You Download Movies to Apple TV to Watch Offline?

Yes. You can download movies included in your list of Apple TV or Apple TV+ subscriptions for offline viewing. Such may include AMC, STARZ, and so forth. 

Here’s how to download movies to Apple TV for offline viewing. 

  1. Open the Apple TV application on your iPod, iPad, or iPhone.
  2. Search for the movie you’d like to download. 
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    3. Click the download button on the bottom-right of the movie. 
    4. Go to “library” and tap Downloaded.

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If you can’t download a movie, chances are you have reached the download limit, or the channel does not allow downloading. 

Most Apple TV channels limit offline viewing for up to thirty days. Some channels allow earlier expiry. Some channels have limits on the number of simultaneous downloads they allow. But that shouldn’t worry you because the application alerts you once you hit the limit.

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