Movies, Shows & Rentals on Your iPhone

The 60-Second Version

If you only remember a handful of things from this guide, make it these.

• The Apple TV app gathers your films, shows, and rentals into one place on your phone.
• Renting a film is cheaper but temporary; buying it means you keep it for good.
• You can watch right on the phone, or send the picture up to your big television.
• Turn on subtitles — the words along the bottom — any time you want to read along.
• Only rent or buy through the official app, never from a link in an email.

Meet the Apple TV App

The Apple TV app is where films and shows live on your iPhone. Despite the name, it is not the television set in your living room — it is an app on your phone, marked with a little icon that reads TV.

When it opens, you will see rows of films and shows to explore, along with anything you have already rented, bought, or started watching. Along the bottom are a few buttons to move between sections. Do not worry about learning every corner at once — the next pages take you through the parts that matter.

• Look on your home screen for the icon labelled TV.
• If you cannot spot it, swipe down on the middle of the home screen and type TV in the search box.
• Tap the icon to open it.
• The first time, it may ask you to sign in with your Apple account — the same one you use for the App Store.

What the App Gathers Together

The clever thing about the Apple TV app is that it pulls a great deal into one place, so you are not forever hopping between different apps to find what you want.

Rather than remembering which app a particular show lives in, you can often start it right from the Apple TV app. It becomes a single front door to most of your watching. Some services still keep to their own separate apps, and that is fine — but a great many now tuck neatly into this one place.

• Films you have rented or bought from Apple.
• Many of your streaming services, so their shows appear alongside everything else.
• Apple's own shows and films, from a service called Apple TV.
• A row called Up Next that remembers what you were watching.

Apple's Own Shows on Apple TV

Alongside films you rent and buy, Apple makes its own shows and films, gathered under a subscription now simply called Apple TV (it used to have a small plus sign after it). It is a monthly service, and the shows appear right inside the Apple TV app.

If you have a free trial, you can watch as much as you like during the trial and decide afterward whether to keep it. Just remember that a trial usually turns into a paid subscription when it ends, unless you cancel — so mark the date, or cancel early and enjoy it to the end of the trial regardless.

• A collection of shows and films made by Apple itself, not found elsewhere.
• They play inside the same Apple TV app you already know.
• It is a monthly subscription, separate from any rentals or purchases.
• New phones and other Apple gadgets often come with a free trial to try it.

Renting a Movie, and How Long It Lasts

Renting is the wallet-friendly way to watch a film you only want to see once. You pay a small sum, watch it, and it quietly disappears afterward — nothing to cancel, nothing to clutter up your phone.

Once you rent a film, you generally have thirty days to begin watching it. But the moment you press play, a shorter window opens — commonly forty-eight hours — during which you can watch it as many times as you like. After that time is up, the rental ends on its own. So it is best to rent when you are ready to settle in.

• Find the film you want in the Apple TV app and tap it.
• If it can be rented, you will see a Rent button with the price on it.
• Tap Rent, then confirm — usually with your face, your fingerprint, or your passcode.
• The film is yours to start watching straight away.

Buying a Movie or Show

Buying costs more than renting, but the film or show is then yours to keep and watch as often as you please, for as long as you own the account. It is the right choice for a favorite you will return to again and again.

A simple rule: rent a film you only want to see once, and buy the ones you will watch time and again — a beloved classic, a favorite the grandchildren always ask for. Buying a whole television series often works out kinder than buying each episode, if you plan to keep it.

• Open the film or show in the Apple TV app and tap it.
• Look for a Buy button with the price — it sits near the Rent button when both are offered.
• Tap Buy and confirm with your face, fingerprint, or passcode.
• It is added to your library, ready whenever you want it.

Finding Something to Watch

Half the pleasure is browsing, but when you know what you are after, the app can take you straight to it. There are two easy ways: searching and browsing.

If you are not sure what you fancy, simply scroll through the rows on the main screen — new releases, popular picks, and films grouped by mood or kind, like comedies or classics. It is a gentle way to stumble onto something you would never have thought to search for.

• Tap the Search button, usually a little magnifying glass at the bottom.
• Type the name of a film, a show, or even an actor.
• Tap the result you want to see what is on offer and how to watch it.

Where Your Subscriptions Show Up

Many people pay a monthly fee for a streaming service or two. The good news is that a number of these appear right inside the Apple TV app, so their shows sit alongside everything else.

It is worth keeping a clear head about which services you subscribe to, since each is a monthly cost. You can see all your subscriptions in Settings, under your name at the top, then Subscriptions. It is a tidy list of what you pay for and when each renews.

• Some services can be added to the Apple TV app, so their shows appear in one place.
• When you pick one of their shows, it plays without an extra charge — you have already paid your monthly fee.
• Other services keep to their own separate app, which you open on its own.
• Either way, the fee is the same monthly amount you already agreed to.

Up Next: Never Lose Your Place

One of the friendliest touches is a row called Up Next. It quietly remembers what you have been watching and where you left off, so picking a show back up is a single tap.

When you come across something you would like to watch another time, look for a plus sign or an option to Add to Up Next. It tucks the film or show into your row so you do not forget it. Think of it as a little to-watch list that keeps itself in order.

• Start a film or show, and it appears in your Up Next row automatically.
• Stop partway through, and it remembers the exact spot for when you return.
• Finish an episode of a series, and the next one is lined up and waiting.
• Tap anything in Up Next to carry straight on from where you were.

Watching on the Phone with Headphones

Sometimes the phone itself is exactly the right screen — in bed, in a waiting room, or beside someone who is sleeping. With a pair of headphones or AirPods, the sound is clear and private, just for you.

Tap the screen and you can pause, jump back a little to catch a line you missed, or turn on subtitles. To adjust the volume, use the buttons on the side of the phone. If you set the phone in a little stand, you can watch comfortably without holding it the whole time.

• Open the film or show and tap the play button.
• Turn the phone on its side, so the picture fills the screen the wide way.
• Put in your headphones or AirPods for clear, private sound.
• Tap the screen once to bring up the controls; tap again to tuck them away.

Getting Around the Playback Controls

Once a film is playing, a few simple controls let you pause, jump back to catch a line, or skip ahead. They tuck themselves away while you watch and reappear with a tap.

If you miss a bit of dialogue, do not worry — a quick tap of the back-arrow replays the last few seconds, and you can do it as often as you like. The sliding bar lets you skip past a slow patch or return to a favorite scene. Nothing you tap here can harm the film or your phone.

• Tap the screen once to bring the controls up; tap again to hide them.
• Tap the pause button to stop, and the same button to carry on.
• Tap the little back-arrow to jump back a few seconds and re-hear a line.
• Slide the bar along the bottom to move to an earlier or later part.

Sending the Movie to the Big TV

Watching on the phone is grand, but for a proper film night nothing beats the big television. Your iPhone can send the picture and sound up to many modern TVs through a feature called AirPlay.

Once it is playing on the TV, your phone becomes the remote — pause, play, and adjust the volume from your hand. Not every television supports AirPlay, but many made in recent years do, and there is a small Apple TV box that adds it to any set. If yours is not cooperating, that is a common thing to sort out.

• Make sure your TV and your phone are on the same home internet.
• Start the film on your phone, then tap the screen to show the controls.
• Look for the AirPlay button — a little rectangle with a triangle beneath it.
• Tap it, choose your television from the list, and the film jumps to the big screen.

Using an Apple TV Box

If sending the picture from your phone feels fiddly, a small gadget called an Apple TV box makes big-screen watching wonderfully simple. It plugs into your television and puts the whole Apple TV app right on the big screen, with its own remote.

For anyone who watches on the big television often, the box turns a sometimes-fiddly job into a comfortable, sit-back experience. Everything you have rented or bought is simply there, ready to play with the remote. It is not required — the phone can do the job — but many folks find it makes the whole thing far easier.

• It connects to your TV with a single cable and joins your home internet.
• Your rentals, purchases, and subscriptions appear on the big screen, no phone needed.
• It comes with a small remote for choosing and playing what you want.
• Your phone can still send films to it with AirPlay when you like.

Turning On Captions and Subtitles

Captions, also called subtitles, are the printed words along the bottom of the screen that show what is being said. They are a great help when dialogue is mumbled, the music swells, or you simply want to follow along more easily.

If the caption text is too small or hard to see, you can make it larger and bolder. It is in Settings, under Accessibility, then Subtitles and Captioning, then Style. A little adjustment here can be the difference between squinting and reading comfortably from your chair.

• While the film is playing, tap the screen to bring up the controls.
• Look for a speech-bubble button, often marked with the letters CC.
• Tap it and choose Subtitles or Closed Captions, and pick the language.
• Tap the screen again to tuck the controls away and read along.

Downloading a Movie for a Trip

On a plane, a train, or anywhere without good internet, you can still enjoy a film — if you download it first while you are at home on your own internet. Downloading tucks a copy right onto your phone so it plays without any connection.

Downloads can be large, so do them at home over your own internet the night before, not at the airport. Give it time to finish fully. Once downloaded, the film sits on your phone ready to watch, and you can delete it afterward to free up room.

• While at home on your own internet, open a film you have rented or bought.
• Look for a download button — a little cloud with an arrow pointing down.
• Tap it and wait for the download to finish before you set off.
• On your trip, open the Apple TV app and play it, no internet needed.

Sharing Purchases with Family

If you set up something called Family Sharing, the films and shows you buy can be enjoyed by your loved ones too, and theirs by you — all without buying anything twice.

Family Sharing is arranged in Settings, under your name at the top. There is a little setup where you invite your family members. It takes a few minutes and is well worth it — a film bought by your daughter can then be enjoyed by you, and yours by the grandchildren, with no extra cost.

• You gather a small family group, each with their own Apple account.
• Films and shows bought by anyone in the group can be watched by the others.
• Everyone keeps their own private account; only purchases are shared.
• It works across everyone's phones, iPads, and televisions.

Controls for the Grandkids

When the grandchildren are visiting, it is easy to keep their watching to what is suitable for their age. The phone can hold back anything too grown-up, so you can hand it over with peace of mind.

With these limits in place, the phone simply will not play anything above the age you have chosen, so a curious child cannot stumble into a grown-up film. When the grandchildren head home, you can lift the limits again with your passcode, or leave them on — there is no harm either way.

• Open Settings, then Screen Time.
• Tap Content and Privacy Restrictions and turn it on.
• Tap Content Restrictions, then choose age limits for films and TV shows.
• Set a passcode so the limits cannot be undone by little fingers.

Spotting Scam Payment Emails

This page may be the most important in the guide. Scammers send fake emails and messages dressed up to look like Apple, hoping to frighten you into handing over your details or your money. Knowing their tricks keeps you safe.

• An email or text saying Your Apple TV payment failed, or Your account is on hold.
• A demand that you click a link right now and re-enter your card or password.
• A warning that your account will be closed unless you act at once.
• A receipt for something you never bought, urging you to click to cancel.

A Simple Watch-Anywhere Plan

You do not need every feature at once. Get comfortable watching first, then add a trick or two as you go. Here is a gentle order to follow.

Once watching feels natural, explore the rest — Family Sharing with your loved ones, downloading a film for a trip, and setting up controls for the grandchildren. There is no rush. Learn one thing at a time and let it settle before the next. Keep the cheat sheet on the following page nearby.

• Open the Apple TV app and browse the rows to see what is on offer.
• Rent one film for the evening and watch it right on the phone.
• Turn on subtitles so you can read along if the dialogue is quiet.
• Try sending a film to the big television with AirPlay.
• Add a few things you fancy to your Up Next list for later.

What's in the 27-page PDF

• The Apple TV app and what it gathers (pages 3-4)
• Renting, buying, and finding something to watch (pages 5-7)
• Your subscriptions and keeping your place (pages 8-9)
• Watching on the phone and on the big TV (pages 10-12)
• Captions, downloads for trips, and family sharing (pages 13-15)
• Controls for the grandkids and spotting scams (pages 16-17)
• A simple plan, a cheat sheet, and a word list (pages 18-22)

Why I wrote this

I write these as printable handouts because a guide you can keep in a drawer beats a web page you have to find again. No jargon, no judgment, no rushing. If you'd rather have someone sit beside you and go through it together, that's a flat $99 first visit with the 30-day follow-up included — serving Portage County from Atwater, Ohio. — Bill