iOS 10.2 won’t let you play ripped DVDs from your iTunes library

By

The new TV app doesn't like ripped videos.
The new TV app doesn't like ripped videos.
Photo: Apple

iOS 10.2 is preventing users from playing videos that they have ripped from DVDs and other sources and loaded into iTunes.

It’s unclear whether this is just a bug or a conscious move by Apple, but there is a trick that has allowed some users to get around the problem.

Getting movies from DVD onto your iPhone or iPad has been a fairly simple process up until now. You simply place the disk inside your Mac, copy the video to your hard drive, and then import it into iTunes before syncing it to your iOS device.

However, with iOS 10.2, Apple removed the Videos app and replaced it with TV, which doesn’t seem to like ripped content. Apple’s Support Communities forum is now being littered with complaints from users who can no longer enjoy their favorite movies and TV shows on the go.

Some users report that adding the new TV widget to the Today page causes ripped content to show up inside the TV app, which suggests this is just a bug in iOS 10.2, rather than an intentional block. However, the workaround doesn’t appear to have been successful for all users.

To try it out for yourself, swipe right on your first Home screen to access the Today page, then scroll all the way to the bottom. Tap the Edit button, then tap the green plus icon that appears alongside the TV app. Once the widget appears, you might find your ripped content inside TV.

If this doesn’t work, the only thing you can do for now is wait for Apple to address this issue — if indeed it is just a bug. It seems unlikely the company would prevent users from playing content ripped from other sources on their iOS devices since it could be perfectly legal.

Newsletters

Daily round-ups or a weekly refresher, straight from Cult of Mac to your inbox.

  • The Weekender

    The week's best Apple news, reviews and how-tos from Cult of Mac, every Saturday morning. Our readers say: "Thank you guys for always posting cool stuff" -- Vaughn Nevins. "Very informative" -- Kenly Xavier.