And then you have a video on your computer that you want to watch on your iPad. In that location are diverse ways y'all tin can transfer that video, and nosotros'll explain everything you lot need to know in order to practise it.

There are a couple of pitfalls to sentinel out for, but any video yous take, by the time you've read this yous'll exist able to picket it on your tablet screen wherever you are, with or without an internet connection.

Re-create videos to iPad using iTunes

The simplest method for most people is to use iTunes, Apple tree'south music software that'southward available for Macs and PCs. We'll focus on Windows computers here, but the process is very similar if you have a Mac.

TIP: This method is free and is simple as long as your video is compatible with your iPad. Information technology will play common formats including MP4, MOV and M4V, but if your video isn't supported you can convert it for gratis.

If you don't already take iTunes on your calculator you'll demand to download it from the Microsoft Store – an app that'south built into Windows 10 – and sign in to iTunes with your Apple tree ID.

Once that's done, connect your iPad to a USB port on your computer using the cable that you normally utilize to accuse information technology – a Lightning cable. (If your iPad is newer, it may utilise a USB-C cable.)

If this is the first time you've used iTunes or the first fourth dimension you've continued your iPad to your calculator, you'll see a prompt asking if you want to allow admission. Approve this, then on your iPad screen, tap 'Trust this computer' and tap in your passcode.

Look for the icon to appear, equally arrowed below, which represents the device you've connected – an iPad or iPhone.

How to transfer video to ipad

Click on it, and yous may be shown a prompt to download and update to the latest version of iPadOS, only yous don't need to do this to transfer videos.

Instead, click on Films in the bottom card on the left, and assuming you haven't copied any other videos to your iPad, you'll only see a bare pane.

How to transfer video to ipad

My preferred way to import videos is to open up File Explorer in Windows (the shortcut is to hold down the Windows key on your keyboard and printing Due east).

Navigate to the folder where your video is located – information technology may be in This PC > Videos, but it could be in your Downloads binder if you downloaded information technology from the internet.

How to transfer video to ipad

When you lot've found the video, click and drag it onto the blank pane in iTunes as shown below. Permit get of the mouse button and the video volition be transferred to your iPad: a blue circle shows the progress.

Here's the pitfall: if the video isn't compatible with your iPad, you'll encounter a message like the i below explaining that information technology won't be copied because it can't be played.

How to transfer video to ipad

If this happens, you can either try one of the other methods below, or catechumen the video into a format that tin be played by your iPad.

To do this:

i. Click the < symbol to go to your iTunes library.

How to transfer video to ipad

2. Click File, Add File to Library…

3. Browse to the video using the window that opens, click on it to select it, and so click Open

4. The video will be added to iTunes. Apply the drib-down menu to choose Films (Movies in the US).

How to transfer video to ipad

v. Click on Domicile Videos (highlighted in blueish beneath).

How to transfer video to ipad

6. Click on the video you just added and it volition take a bluish border effectually information technology

7. Click File > Convert and and so click on "Create iPad or Apple Tv version" (choose the iPhone option if y'all're copying the video to an iPhone)

How to transfer video to ipad

8. You should see the new version of the video appear in your Dwelling Videos list (or iTunes may crash and quit, as it did on my PC). If it was successfully converted, you tin can transfer it to your iPad past dragging information technology from the list onto your iPad as shown beneath.

How to transfer video to ipad

If y'all're unable to use iTunes to catechumen the video into the right format, you lot tin can find out how to exercise it with other software in our split up guide to converting videos.

How to play a transferred video on your iPad

Once the video has been copied from your computer to the tablet, here's how to sentinel it.

Open the TV app (arrowed); this replaces the older Videos app that yous might be looking for and declining to observe.

How to transfer video to ipad

Under the Library section, tap Home Videos and y'all should run into the video. Simply tap on it and and so tap Play.

How to transfer video to ipad

How to transfer video to an iPad without iTunes

If you lot don't want to use iTunes, or if your video isn't in a format that iTunes can play, and then you may prefer to utilise a tertiary-party app to copy videos from your estimator.

There are many apps which tin can do this. Our favourite is WALTR two.

WALTR 2

One is WALTR 2. Information technology isn't complimentary at US$39.95, only it is very, very practiced. The simple drag-and-drop interface belies the many things it does when it transfers files to your iPad or iPhone.

When you lot driblet a video onto it, it volition analyse it and endeavour to detect metadata (including a encompass image) so catechumen it into a playable format - if necessary - before sending it your iOS device.

Videos are placed into the correct binder so they appear in the native Videos app: all without iTunes. There'due south likewise the option to use Wi-Fi to transfer files, but the fastest fashion is to apply a Lightning cablevision.

How to transfer videos to iPad iPhone Waltr 2

VLC (iTunes)

If y'all don't want to pay for WALTR 2, there are free apps which can play videos in merely about any format, just they do tend to require you to copy files via iTunes.

There are diverse apps, including the free VLC Histrion. Unfortunately, many such apps take had to remove codecs following legal requests and no longer support surround-sound audio (Ac-3 and others).

This means that any video with surround sound will play without any audio. You'd take to convert your video in a suitable application and make sure 0the surroundings sound is converted to stereo.

PlayerXtreme Media Histrion (no iTunes)

One gratuitous app which has e'er had consistently excellent reviews is PlayerXtreme Media Player by Xtreme Media Works. This lets you transfer videos by Wi-Fi, simply for speed and reliability, we'd recommend using a USB cablevision.

Cheque out our wider guide to playing any video format on an iPad to discover out about another options. Obviously, install whichever app y'all're going to use before following the guide below.

First, connect your iPad to a computer with a the latest version of iTunes. As explained above, grant admission if requested on both your computer and iPad. Your iPad should appear to the correct of the < > arrows nearly the top. Click on the icon that appears there and then click on File Sharing in the menu on the left.

How to copy video from PC to iPad and iPhone

In the File Sharing department, click on the advisable video app - in this case, PlayerXtreme.

Click the Add File... button and navigate to the video you want to put on your iPad. Select one or more than and click Open at the bottom of the dialogue box. Don't forget to select whatsoever subtitle files which get with the videos.

The films volition start copying to your iPad – a progress bar is shown in the pane at the top of iTunes.

Once they're transferred, yous can disconnect your iPad, launch PlayerXtreme and the videos will be in that location, ready to watch.

Comport in mind that playing video formats which aren't natively supported past iOS will utilize upwards the bombardment faster unless the app tin can use hardware acceleration (which PlayerXtreme can).

Use a video downloader app

If you don't want to have to connect your iPad to a computer running iTunes, at that place are other ways to go films onto your iPad. I is to install a video downloader app. Using the app's congenital-in web browser you can head to YouTube or another video streaming site and find a video yous want to watch.

When it starts playing, a popular-up window should appear giving you the option to download or salvage the video. You might have to type in a name for it, or it might automatically have the name from the web page.

These apps tend to disappear from the App Store quickly because of Apple's policies on potential copyright violation, so we can't link to whatsoever specific ones.

However, y'all tin can check our separate guide which explains how to download YouTube videos to an iPhone or iPad.

Download from Netflix or Amazon Prime Video

If you accept a Netflix or Amazon Prime subscription, y'all can now as well download content from both of those services. If you want to try it out, we take dedicated guides to downloading videos from Netflix or Amazon Prime Video.

How to copy video from PC to iPad and iPhone

If y'all're not certain what to watch, we've also rounded upwardly what we recollect are the best films on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video too.

Download catch-up TV

Plenty of TV channels take their own apps, and some let you download shows as well.

BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub and the All 4 app (Chanel iv) all allow you to download TV shows (including films) to your iPad. iPlayer and gives you lot xxx days to watch stuff you download, while you're limited to seven days with ITV Hub and, when it comes to All 4, it'south dependent on when the show was originally broadcast.

Neither My5 nor UKTV Play allow yous to download shows at the time of writing, but this could change in futurity.