If you’re new to Apple TV, you may need a couple of days to get familiar with the UI and the features available on the platform. But even long-time users may sometimes have trouble finding specific settings and options. For example, many users have complained that Apple TV doesn’t have a straightforward resume option. If you pause a video on Apple TV, you often have to start over, you can’t continue where you left off.
Let’s explore if there’s a specific setting you need to enable to continue from the paused sequence.
How Do I Resume a Movie or TV Show on Apple TV?
To resume a movie or TV show on Apple TV, select the Up Next option in the Watch Now tab. The Apple TV app stores your viewing history and progress online linking this information directly to your Apple ID account. The episodes you already watched have a checkmark next to them.
As you can see, Apple TV doesn’t have a straightforward resume option similar to that available on Roku, Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime.
Unfortunately, the Up Next option may sometimes stop working, to users’ despair. For example, if you watch Apple TV on Roku and pause an episode, you only have the “Play this episode” option when you go back. You then need to start over from the beginning and fast-forward to where you left off.
What to Do if You Can’t Resume an Episode on Apple TV
Go to iPhone Settings, select Apple TV settings, and then sign into Home Sharing. The option is available at the bottom of the screen.
Delete the Apple TV app, restart your media streaming device, reinstall the app, sign back in, and check the results.
Navigate to iPhone Settings, select Apple TV, and turn on Use Play History. Then, sign out of iTunes, and enable Airplane Mode. Wait for 30 seconds, go back online, and sign back into your account. Check if all your movies and TV shows are synced up.
Update the software on your iPhone, streaming device, and smart TV to the latest version. Install the latest Apple TV app version, and check the results.
Conclusion
To resume an episode on Apple TV, go to the Watch Now tab, and select Up Next. If the feature is not working, go to iPhone Settings, and enable Use Play History. Additionally, delete the Apple TV app, restart your media streaming device, and reinstall the app.
Do you think Apple should add a user-friendly resume option to Apple TV? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Apple should add a user-friendly resume option right on the screen — there are no “settings” in the app — in these days of streaming if Apple wants more than iphone customers the function need to be in the app
The absence of a convenient way to resume an episode on Apple TV makes it certain I will cancel after my free trial. Absolutely unbelievable. Britbox mastered this ”advanced“ feature years ago.
I’m new to Apple and I’ve got to say the lack of auto resume option (to play from where you left off last time) – which all other streaming services have – is laughable. This is a basic function of watching TV and a company like Apple not having it is…well it’s crap…basic words for a basic service!
Fix this! I pay good money for all things Apple, and am getting the distinct feeling you just don’t care about your customers. I sure hope that isn’t true.
Please Apple! Fix this glitch! It’s annoying and you’re Apple! You must do better! Let me resume watching where I left off without fast forwarding, for crying out loud! Literally!
Apple, isn’t it about time you fired your Apple TV software developers? If you think your UI is so innovative for Apple TV, stop looking at yourself in the mirror and read some of the comments from real people who have to deal with your mess! You should be embarrassed to offer a UI which is so unfriendly and just plan stupid to use. Not everyone is able to watch a movie or series episode without having to continue it the next day. Guess what….it should be as simple as Netflix, Prime Video, HBO Max and the rest of the streaming universe. It is so irritating that this has been a problem for some time and you haven’t fixed it. You NEED a resume function, which works like the rest of the world. Too bad Steve Jobs isn’t around to kick some butt to get this absolute joke of a UI working with the excellence we expect of an Apple product.
I’m in week 2 or 3 of apple TV free trial, and the lack of the ability to resume watching turns me off (pun intended). This is so irritating to me (as well as the not-really-user-friendliness of the entire app), that I will not continue with ATV after my freebie expires. Good thing they let you have a free trial to find out why you don’t want to subscribe….
A big failure from Apple TV, all others steaming apps have this feature . Saving your progress on programs you’re watching has been a feature for long time.
Apple TV is an absolute nightmare without just being able to resume play. I have internet problems and had to fast forward 8 times to try and finish an episode. Never did manage to finish it.
I do not have an iphone and from this experience never will. I think I will cancel Apple TV. You just want to throw the nearest object at the TV.
I think Apple TV needs a resume episode option. It’s too hard to try to figure out how to resume a show and half the time it restarts it which is annoying.
I’ve never had to deal with this with any other streaming service. Hulu, Netflix, even Tubi – a free service – automatically bring you back to where you left off. Yet Apple, of all companies, can’t handle this? That’s just absurd. Also, I cannot afford an iPhone and I won’t buy one just so I don’t have to fast forward episodes (which is not as easy as it sounds). Apple TV’s strength is its amazing shows – Severance, Ted Lasso, and now Loot is another winner. So I’ll keep watching for now. But this is just one of the problems with their TV service. Another is how difficult it is to look for a specific episode of a series rather than have it take you to the next episode – which can be done, but I had to look that up online and I didn’t find the answer from Apple. The company needs to put the proper technology into place. If Tubi and the Roku channel can make this easy for the audience, Apple can too.
I’m currently watching Apple TV on a trial basis. I don’t have an iPhone and not being able to easily resume a program because of that is frankly a dealbreaker for me, especially given the fact that it could be so easily remedied. Don’t know if I will subscribe.
Please fix this. I have reached the point where I have taught myself to write down the point I was at when I paused the episode. Then I have to scroll through to that point before I can continue watching. Nobody should have to do that! Apple TV isn’t the only game in town, guys.
More than Frustrating! How did all these high paid, super smart programmers Miss the Resume Feature! Please for all our sanity sake, add this feature and make it is to Continue Watching on our TVs. Please.
Infuriating! I have to pause often and I’m sick of it starting from the beginning again when I’m half way through it before I paused! Very close to cancelling. High tech Apple ha!!!
This is very annoying . I pay for Apple TV, but can’t find a way to enable the “resume” option when pausing a show. I don’t have a iPhone and it seems the solutions only apply to those that do.
Then, sign out of iTunes, and enable Airplane Mode. Wait for 30 seconds, go back online, and sign back into your account. Check if all your movies and TV shows are synced up.
Darl Sitka says
Apple should add a user-friendly resume option right on the screen — there are no “settings” in the app — in these days of streaming if Apple wants more than iphone customers the function need to be in the app
Bob says
The absence of a convenient way to resume an episode on Apple TV makes it certain I will cancel after my free trial. Absolutely unbelievable. Britbox mastered this ”advanced“ feature years ago.
Gary Warning says
Hey! Your suggestion worked. I’m now able to resume episodes and my smart TV, iPhone and iPad are all in sync with Apple TV. Thanks!
Kevin Bidewell says
I’m new to Apple and I’ve got to say the lack of auto resume option (to play from where you left off last time) – which all other streaming services have – is laughable. This is a basic function of watching TV and a company like Apple not having it is…well it’s crap…basic words for a basic service!
Ellen Stone says
Fix this! I pay good money for all things Apple, and am getting the distinct feeling you just don’t care about your customers. I sure hope that isn’t true.
mary zimmer says
Please Apple! Fix this glitch! It’s annoying and you’re Apple! You must do better! Let me resume watching where I left off without fast forwarding, for crying out loud! Literally!
Carroll says
Apple, isn’t it about time you fired your Apple TV software developers? If you think your UI is so innovative for Apple TV, stop looking at yourself in the mirror and read some of the comments from real people who have to deal with your mess! You should be embarrassed to offer a UI which is so unfriendly and just plan stupid to use. Not everyone is able to watch a movie or series episode without having to continue it the next day. Guess what….it should be as simple as Netflix, Prime Video, HBO Max and the rest of the streaming universe. It is so irritating that this has been a problem for some time and you haven’t fixed it. You NEED a resume function, which works like the rest of the world. Too bad Steve Jobs isn’t around to kick some butt to get this absolute joke of a UI working with the excellence we expect of an Apple product.
janis says
I’m in week 2 or 3 of apple TV free trial, and the lack of the ability to resume watching turns me off (pun intended). This is so irritating to me (as well as the not-really-user-friendliness of the entire app), that I will not continue with ATV after my freebie expires. Good thing they let you have a free trial to find out why you don’t want to subscribe….
Julia Maxwell says
I’m a new user of Apple TV. It is not user friendly and I’m not a fan
Jose Carcamo says
A big failure from Apple TV, all others steaming apps have this feature . Saving your progress on programs you’re watching has been a feature for long time.
Henk says
On Apple TV, go to Settings, then Apps, go to TV, and set Use Play History to On. Now resume should be working.
Tracey Hooper says
Apple TV is an absolute nightmare without just being able to resume play. I have internet problems and had to fast forward 8 times to try and finish an episode. Never did manage to finish it.
I do not have an iphone and from this experience never will. I think I will cancel Apple TV. You just want to throw the nearest object at the TV.
Angie says
I think Apple TV needs a resume episode option. It’s too hard to try to figure out how to resume a show and half the time it restarts it which is annoying.
Julia Althoff says
I think that Apple TV should have this. It is so annoying to be interrupted and then not be able to resume where I left off
Janet says
I’ve never had to deal with this with any other streaming service. Hulu, Netflix, even Tubi – a free service – automatically bring you back to where you left off. Yet Apple, of all companies, can’t handle this? That’s just absurd. Also, I cannot afford an iPhone and I won’t buy one just so I don’t have to fast forward episodes (which is not as easy as it sounds). Apple TV’s strength is its amazing shows – Severance, Ted Lasso, and now Loot is another winner. So I’ll keep watching for now. But this is just one of the problems with their TV service. Another is how difficult it is to look for a specific episode of a series rather than have it take you to the next episode – which can be done, but I had to look that up online and I didn’t find the answer from Apple. The company needs to put the proper technology into place. If Tubi and the Roku channel can make this easy for the audience, Apple can too.
Wayne Wilson says
I’m currently watching Apple TV on a trial basis. I don’t have an iPhone and not being able to easily resume a program because of that is frankly a dealbreaker for me, especially given the fact that it could be so easily remedied. Don’t know if I will subscribe.
Ronny says
All the updates to the devices and Apple can’t give you a simple way resume the video? Ridiculous.
SW says
Please fix this. I have reached the point where I have taught myself to write down the point I was at when I paused the episode. Then I have to scroll through to that point before I can continue watching. Nobody should have to do that! Apple TV isn’t the only game in town, guys.
DR says
More than Frustrating! How did all these high paid, super smart programmers Miss the Resume Feature! Please for all our sanity sake, add this feature and make it is to Continue Watching on our TVs. Please.
Liane says
FIX THIS. This should be easy for all of you Apple nuts. NOT intuitive at all. Thank you.
gh says
Infuriating! I have to pause often and I’m sick of it starting from the beginning again when I’m half way through it before I paused! Very close to cancelling. High tech Apple ha!!!
TC says
This is very annoying . I pay for Apple TV, but can’t find a way to enable the “resume” option when pausing a show. I don’t have a iPhone and it seems the solutions only apply to those that do.
Brian Levy says
Not having a resume from where you left off feature makes Apple TV look a tacky compared to others. It drives me mad and I am sure it does others
Worst!! If you pause and make a cup of tea when you get back is gone to the menu and you have lost your position.
Fix It!!! Please
Brian
Linda McMullen says
It is ridiculous that Apple TV does not have a pause and resume function. Please fix this
Joseph Bornstein says
I suggest you set up a resume play so we don’t have to repeat parts of shows already watched