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iPad Apple TV sidebar missing "Home Videos" and "Downloads"

My Apple TV sidebar "Home Videos" and "Downloads" have disappeared from my iPad Pro 12.9" 5th gen ver 16.5. I tried adding a video from my iMac which failed, backed up the iPad, and now neither of the two sidebar option appear. There are the other sidebar options TV, Store, and Library appear as normal. However Library sub-options have "Recent Purchases", "Movies", "TV Shows" and "Genres", but here is no "Home Video" nor "Downloaded" tabs in that Apple TV app. Additionally, iTunes will still not allow a download to the connected iPad via the usual drag and drop. There appears a dearth of information on this topic. What gives and how can this situation be rectified? Annoying.


iPad Pro, iPadOS 16

Posted on Jun 24, 2023 2:11 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jul 3, 2023 2:03 PM

Change in the way the system works. It seeded that before a drag and drop worked from the Finder. Now the .mp4 needs to be dropped into the iTunes Library first. Then the file(s) can be added to the mounted iPad in the iTunes app on the iMac. Why the original videos disappeared remains a mystery, but all the files were still on the iMac so were easily replaced using the above method. Once one file was successfully placed on the iPad, the "Downloads" and the "Home Videos" sidebar entries returned as well.

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jul 3, 2023 2:03 PM in response to Uncle-George

Change in the way the system works. It seeded that before a drag and drop worked from the Finder. Now the .mp4 needs to be dropped into the iTunes Library first. Then the file(s) can be added to the mounted iPad in the iTunes app on the iMac. Why the original videos disappeared remains a mystery, but all the files were still on the iMac so were easily replaced using the above method. Once one file was successfully placed on the iPad, the "Downloads" and the "Home Videos" sidebar entries returned as well.

Jun 24, 2023 4:05 PM in response to Uncle-George

Not sure what issue you are facing. It works normally for me. iPad Air A2152, iPadOS 16.5.1.

Library options may be hidden when the category has no items.

Video syncing requires compatible files, which then would show an “Add to Device” contextual option.


Did you see/do the “Trust Device?” confirmation? If not, see the iPad under Locations in the sidebar of a Finder window, then Trust. Then the TV app may show more actions that involve interacting with the iPad. If that was the case, then it is a macOS issue, as it may not have done the expected pop-up notification.

Jun 24, 2023 5:26 PM in response to Urquhart1244

Trust device starts up and appears normal. Trust is successful. To paraphrase "Young Frankenstein" this is ABNormal. I will try the "Add to device" option and get back. What remains puzzling is the loss of the downloaded .mp4s along with the disappearance of the sidebar selections, as well as the inability to drag and drop as before.


Next effort will be to add a simple music file. I am somewhat computer literate, as I did, at one time long ago in a faraway time, support a couple of thousand Mac devices - networking mostly.


iPad Apple TV sidebar missing "Home Videos" and "Downloads"

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