How to Transfer Movies to iPhone [2025]

You can transfer movies, TV shows, or other videos to your iPhone in several ways. You can use iTunes on Windows or the Finder on macOS; you can use Dropbox or WALTR PRO, which lets you quickly and easily transfer media files to your device.

Transfer Movies and Videos From Your PC to Your iPhone Using iTunes

iTunes is the default method for transferring files to Apple devices, but iTunes syncs can be slow, especially when you're in a hurry. And iTunes can only transfer video files in certain formats. 

Your Apple device can play MOV and MP4 videos but won't play MKV, FLV, or WMV files. And while it can play some AVI files, not all are compatible. While the AVI, MOV, and MP4 formats are officially supported, the different video codecs used to create these files can cause problems.

Video processing software uses different encoding types- codecs - to convert images and audio into video files. iPhones don’t support all the encodings available, so you won't be able to sync all these files with iTunes or play them all on your device. We'll skip the technical details, but you'll find a better method for transferring video files to your iPhone below, allowing you to use more formats.

iTunes is the default tool for syncing content from your PC to an Apple device. It allows you to organize your movies and music in a single place, and if you want more, you can buy them from the iTunes Store right in the app. You can easily buy, sync, and watch.

When you want to sync a video to your Apple device, add it to your iTunes library. Here are the steps:

Step 1. Make Sure the Video is iPhone-compatible

As mentioned above, iPhones may have problems playing some video formats. And there are video formats that Apple devices won't play at all, such as MKV and WMV.

If you have a video file in an incompatible format, you can convert it, using a third-party video converter, to a file the iPhone can play. Apple devices can play most MP4 videos without problems, so if you convert your movie or TV show files to MP4, they should work.

Step 2. Import the Video to iTunes

Now that you have the video open your iTunes Movies library and drag the file there. iTunes adds this by default to the Home Movies library. To change this, find the file, right-click, then click Options. In the Media Kind menu, choose Movie or TV Show to store the file in the appropriate library.

Step 3. Sync Your iPhone With iTunes

Next, connect your iPhone with a USB cable and sync. When the syncing process has been completed, you will find the movie or TV show's metadata in the TV app on your iPhone. 

Transfer Movies and Videos to Your iPhone with WALTR PRO

iTunes has long been the default tool for transferring videos from a PC to an iPhone, but it's not the easiest way, especially since it doesn't support all the video formats you may have. It's a great tool for managing a media library, but if you're a Windows user, you know that it has gotten a bit old.

There's another way to transfer videos from a PC to an iPhone; this video gives you a quick overview of the process:

To transfer videos from your PC to your iPhone, you need 30 sec. and WALTR PRO. You may wonder how WALTR PRO is better, more flexible, and more efficient than syncing with iTunes.

WALTR PRO is a file transfer app that does just one thing: it allows you to transfer files of any kind to an iPhone. Its interface couldn't be simpler: all you need to do is drag and drop files onto the WALTR PRO window.  

So try it out by clicking the button below. The download is safe and free! You'll also receive a 24-hour free trial via a code that you can request during the app's startup.

Step-By-Step: Transfer Videos to iPhone Without iTunes

After you have downloaded WALTR PRO, install the app on your PC, then proceed with the following steps. 

Step 1: Connect Your iPhone to Your Mac or PC

Connect your iPhone to your PC with a USB cable.

Note: After you connect your Apple device to your PC for the first time, you can use WALTR PRO completely wirelessly, with the transfers taking place over Wi-Fi. Once you've connected it, click the gear in the bottom right corner of the application and select "Enable Wi-Fi Connectivity." That’s it!

Step 2: Drag the Desired File Into WALTR

For this tutorial, I'll use Deadpool as an example.

Note: You can transfer all kinds of media files using WALTR PRO, even eBooks.

You can even play video formats like MKV, AVI, and WMV, which iTunes can’t read by default. WALTR PRO also works seamlessly with lossless music formats like FLAC.

Drag & drop the file on WALTR PRO, and it will transcode it on the fly to a format that you can play on your iPhone. 

Step 3: Play the File on iPhone

After completing the progress bar and seeing the “Successfully Transferred” notification, your video will be copied and converted to your Apple device, if necessary. Head to the TV app on your iOS device, tap Library and find the file listed in Home Videos. (Files not copied from iTunes always go into the Home Videos library.)

This is just a taste of what WALTR PRO can do for you. The application has lots of practical features!

You can also learn how to easily transfer videos from your computer to your iPhone without iTunes.

I’m sure you are already impressed by how easy it is to transfer a video to your device, but that’s not everything WALTR PRO can do! There is a full range of great features. 

A Short Roundup of WALTR PRO Features:

• Wi-Fi support. If your device and computer are connected to the same wi-fi network, you can easily transfer videos from your PC to your iPhone wirelessly.
• ACR (Automatic Content Recognition). WALTR PRO recognizes all the artwork and other metadata, such as the title, genre, episode description, and more.
• WALTR PRO works with every iPod released by Apple since 2001. (Including the iPod classic.)
• Manage your eBooks & PDFs with WALTR PRO. 

If you’re a Mac user, you may find that Apple's media apps—formerly iTunes and now split into several apps—work efficiently, but on Windows, it’s just a different story. iTunes is much slower and quite unstable. It's also hard to find your way around your iTunes library.  

Also, you can only sync your Apple device with one iTunes library; otherwise, iTunes may delete all the files on your device. You don't want to worry about losing files on your iPhone. 

Transfer Movies and Videos to Your iPhone using Dropbox

Another easy way to transfer videos to your iPhone without iTunes is to use Dropbox. Dropbox is a cloud storage service that allows you to store files online and share them with others. It's also an easy way to share files across your devices. Here's how.

Step 1. Sign into Dropbox 

You can use Dropbox in your web browser, or you can download the app to your PC for easier access. Sign into your account or create a new one.

Step 2. Upload your Video

If you use Dropbox’s browser interface, click Upload, then select the video you want to transfer. If you're using the Dropbox PC app, you can drag and drop the file into a folder, and the upload will start. 

Depending on the file size and your bandwidth, the video will take some time to upload. Dropbox provides you with 2 GB of storage for free; if you need more, Dropbox offers a paid plan.

Once the upload is complete, unlock your iPhone.

Step 3. Download the Video

Download Dropbox from the App Store if you don’t have it on your device, then, sign into the same account as in the first step. After a few seconds, you'll see the video you just uploaded from your PC.

Step 4. Play

Open the Dropbox app on your iPhone. Find the video, then tap ... next to its name. Tap Export, then tap Open In. Dropbox will download the file, which may take a few minutes. Then, you can select a video player app, such as VLC, Infuse, or others. These apps can play videos in iPhone-compatible formats and many others, such as playing MKV to MP4 and other formats, including WMW.

Additional Conversion and Playback Options

With WALTR PRO, there's no need for additional conversion software. Whether you want to watch MKV on iPhone or handle other complex formats, WALTR PRO has you covered. Just drop the file in, and WALTR PRO will make it compatible with your device.

Plus, it’s easy to convert audio formats, so iPhones can play WAV files or other high-quality formats.

Conclusion

WALTR PRO is the ultimate tool for transferring videos from PC to your iPhone without syncing the whole device, which can take a long time. You can easily move any video onto your iPhone just by dragging and dropping it. There are no format limitations, no quality loss, and nothing that can confuse you.

Whether you’re learning how to download movies on iPad, or maybe even add movies to Apple TV, or simply want to watch on your iPhone, WALTR PRO provides the smoothest, most flexible solution. Just drag and drop your video files, and WALTR PRO will take care of the rest, making it the ideal tool for all your media transfer needs.

Also, you probably have lots of friends who want an easy way to put movies on their iPhones; feel free to share this article and help them discover the simplicity of WALTR PRO.

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