For iPhone & iPad
If you've been using Netfly on Android and just switched to an iPhone, or you've heard about it from a friend and want to try it on your iPad, you're probably wondering if it even works on Apple devices in the first place. A lot of these streaming apps start on Android and take a while to show up anywhere else, if they ever do.
⇩ Download Netfly for iOS
Overview
Netfly for iOS is the version of the app built to run on iPhones and iPads. It gives you the same idea as the Android version — movies, TV series, and live channels all in one place — but adjusted to fit how Apple devices work. So instead of installing an APK file like you would on Android, you're looking at a different setup process, which we'll get into further down.
The library itself covers a good mix of content. There's the usual movies and series you'd expect, plus live TV channels from a handful of regions, and a sports section for anyone who wants to catch a match without flipping through five different apps. It's built to feel familiar if you've used other streaming apps before, so there isn't much of a learning curve.
A lot of people ask why an app like this even bothers building an iOS version when Android sideloading is so much simpler. Part of it comes down to how many people actually use iPhones and iPads day to day. Cutting out that entire audience doesn't make much sense for an app trying to grow, even if it means dealing with Apple's more locked down system to make it happen.
What you get
Here's a closer look at what you actually get once the app is running on your device.
The app is built to work on both, and it doesn't just stretch the phone version to fit a bigger screen. On an iPad, the layout uses the extra space properly, with a wider grid for browsing and a bigger preview when you tap into something. On the iPhone, everything's arranged for one handed use.
Not every place you go has a good signal, and streaming eats through data fast if you're not on Wi-Fi. Netfly lets you download movies and episodes ahead of time so you can watch them later without needing a connection at all.
If your internet connection can keep up, Netfly plays content in HD, and in a lot of cases pushes up to Ultra-HD with HDR support — noticeable if you're watching on a newer iPhone or iPad with a good display.
Rather than scrolling back through the whole library trying to remember what you wanted to watch, you can save titles to your own list as you come across them.
No ads breaking into your movie, no pop ups covering half the screen while you're trying to browse. You open the app, you find something, you watch it.
Before you install
Before installing, it helps to check that your device can actually run the app properly. Here's what you'll need. If your device is a bit older than what's listed here, the app might still run, but you could run into slower load times or occasional crashes.
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Device | iPhone 8 or newer, iPad (6th generation or newer) |
| iOS Version | iOS 13 or higher |
| Storage | At least 200 MB free |
| Internet | Stable Wi-Fi or cellular data connection |
Good to know
Here's the part that trips people up. Netfly isn't listed on the official App Store. Apple has strict rules about what kind of apps get approved, and streaming apps like this one, which pull content from third party sources, generally don't make the cut. That doesn't mean it's impossible to use on an iPhone or iPad though. It just means you won't find it by searching the App Store like you would with a regular app.
Instead, it's installed through a direct download link, similar to how sideloading works on Android, just with a different process since Apple locks things down more. We'll walk through exactly how that works in the next section.
This isn't unique to Netfly either. Plenty of well known apps in this same category work the exact same way on iOS, since Apple's review process treats third party streaming apps pretty much the same across the board. If you've ever installed a similar app on an iPhone before, the process here will feel familiar.
Get started
Since the app isn't on the App Store, installing it takes a couple of extra steps compared to a normal app download. Here's how to do it.
Open Safari on your iPhone or iPad and go to the official Netfly download page.
Your device will likely show a prompt asking if you trust the source — go ahead and allow it.
Once the file finishes downloading, go to Settings, then General, then VPN & Device Management. You should see a profile listed for Netfly.
This step is necessary because the app isn't verified by Apple directly, so your device needs manual permission before it'll open.
The Netfly icon should now open normally, just like any other app. If you don't see it right away, try restarting your device.
Make sure you're using Safari rather than another browser for the download, since some browsers on iOS handle file downloads differently and can cause the install to fail partway through. Also double check you have enough storage free before starting. Once it's on your device, you shouldn't need to repeat these steps unless you delete the app and reinstall it later.
Fixes
Even with everything installed correctly, you might run into a few hiccups here and there. Most of them are quick fixes.
This is the most common one, and it's an easy fix. Go back into Settings, General, VPN & Device Management, and tap Trust on the Netfly profile if you haven't already.
If Netfly updates and suddenly won't launch, it's often because the update reset the trust settings. Head back into your device settings and re-trust the app, then try again.
This usually comes down to your connection rather than the app itself. Try switching from cellular data to Wi-Fi, or the other way around. If you're on Wi-Fi already, moving closer to your router can help.
Check your available storage first, since this is the most common cause. Deleting a few unused apps or photos should free up enough room for downloads to complete properly.
If this happens right after installing, try deleting the app and reinstalling it from the download page again. A corrupted install is usually to blame.
This one's less about the app and more about how a specific channel's stream is set up. Try force closing the app completely and reopening it to reset the audio session.
If the app locks up when jumping from movies to live TV, it's often a memory issue, especially on older devices. Close out other open apps before switching sections.
Questions
Yes, there's no cost to download or use the app on iPhone or iPad.
Apple's guidelines don't allow apps that stream from third party content sources, so it has to be installed manually instead through a direct download.
As long as you're downloading from a source you trust, allowing the profile is a normal part of installing apps that aren't distributed through the App Store. Still, it's worth being cautious about where you download the file from.
It depends on the model. Anything running iOS 13 or later should work, though older hardware might load content a bit slower.
Sometimes, yes. If an update resets your trust settings, you'll need to go back into your device settings and approve it again before the app opens.
Not directly at the moment. It's built for iPhone and iPad, so if you want something similar on a bigger screen, you'd need to look at AirPlay mirroring from your iPhone or iPad instead.
If you're signed into the same profile on both devices, your watchlist and viewing progress should carry over between them without needing to set anything up manually.