To watch Netflix on an iPad, download the free Netflix app from the App Store, sign in with your Netflix email and password, and tap any show or movie to play it. To turn on subtitles, tap the screen while something is playing, tap Audio & Subtitles, and choose a language.
These steps cover the current Netflix app on iPads running iPadOS 18 or later, including iPadOS 26, plus options for older iPads. They follow Netflix’s How to use Netflix on your iPhone or iPad, subtitles and audio and downloads help pages.
What You Need
- A Netflix membership. You can’t sign up or pay inside the iPad app. Open Safari, go to netflix.com, and choose a plan there. For more on the plans, read how Netflix streaming works.
- A supported iPadOS version. According to its App Store listing, the Netflix app requires iPadOS 18.0 or later. One Netflix help page lists iPadOS 26, so if the App Store won’t install the app, check Settings > General > About to see your version.
- An internet connection to stream, or titles you downloaded earlier to watch offline.
Every plan works on an iPad. They differ in how many screens can play at once:
| Plan (US) | Ads | Screens at once | Download devices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard with ads | Yes | 2 | 2 |
| Standard | No | 2 | 2 |
| Premium | No | 4 | 6 |
Netflix’s plans page lists current prices. On the ad plan, some titles show a lock icon and can’t be played.
How to Watch Netflix on iPad
- Open the App Store and tap Search.
- Type Netflix, then tap Search. The official app is published by Netflix, Inc.
- Select Netflix and tap Get (or the cloud icon if you’ve downloaded it before). Confirm with Face ID, Touch ID, or your Apple Account password if asked.
- Tap the Netflix icon on your Home Screen.
- Enter your Netflix email address and password, then tap Sign In.
- Choose your profile. Your rows of shows and movies appear.
- Tap any title, then tap Play.
Netflix keeps your place, so a show you pause on the iPad picks up where you left off on your TV or phone when you use the same profile. The same app and sign-in steps work on an iPhone. For iPhone requirements and the first settings to change, read how to set up Netflix on an iPhone.
If you have not picked a plan yet, see what Netflix costs on an iPhone and why you sign up on the website instead of in the app.
How to Turn On Subtitles in Netflix on iPad
- Start playing a show or movie.
- Tap the screen to show the controls.
- Tap Audio & Subtitles.
- Choose a subtitle or audio language, or select Other to see all options.
Netflix says it shows all available languages for the title when you stream. It also says subtitle and audio preferences aren’t saved for most Kids titles watched from an adult profile. For subtitles that include sounds and music, look for the SDH badge on a title’s details page, though SDH isn’t available for every season or episode.
To turn subtitles off, open Audio & Subtitles during playback and choose Off under Subtitles. If captions keep coming back in every app, check Settings > Accessibility > Subtitles & Captioning > Closed Captions + SDH on the iPad, which affects other apps too. Some dialogue in another language can still show subtitles with subtitles off.
How to Download Shows to Watch Offline
- Open the Netflix app and tap Downloads > See What You Can Download.
- Pick a show or movie.
- For a movie, tap Download. For a show, tap the download button next to an episode or tap Download Season.
- To watch, tap Downloads, find the title, and tap Play.
The title plays without an internet connection. Wi-Fi is best for downloading, and you must stay signed in to watch downloads. Ad-free plans allow up to 100 downloads at a time per device, while ad-supported plans are limited to 15 downloads per device per month and need iPadOS 16 or later. Not every title can be downloaded, and downloads expire after a period of time.
For download quality, Smart Downloads, and fixes for failed or expired downloads, read about downloading Netflix episodes on iPhone or iPad.
Netflix Features on iPad
- Picture-in-Picture: watch while using other apps on certain iPad models, on ad-free plans only. Start a title, then go to the Home Screen, and the video keeps playing in a small window.
- Spatial audio: on the Premium plan with AirPods Pro or AirPods Max on compatible models, for streamed titles only. Downloads play in stereo.
- HD and HDR: iPad 5th generation and later, and iPad mini 2 and later, play Full HD, and iPad Pro 10.5-inch and later support HDR. Netflix’s iPad page doesn’t list 4K. HDR may not play in Low Power Mode or over cellular.
If you watch in bed, you can set a timer that stops Netflix with the Clock app on your iPad or iPhone, so a show doesn’t play all night.
Watch Netflix From Your iPad on a TV
Netflix doesn’t support AirPlay or Screen Mirroring. If you try, Netflix shows error AVF:11870 and asks you to stop mirroring, as explained on its AirPlay error page. That’s why the usual screen mirroring steps for an iPad don’t work for Netflix.
Use a cable instead. Connect an Apple USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter or Lightning Digital AV Adapter (match your iPad’s port) to the TV with an HDMI cable, and switch the TV to that HDMI input. Apple’s AV adapter help page notes that streaming apps need an HDCP-compatible connection, so a VGA adapter won’t work. Another option is to open the Netflix app on the TV or a streaming device and sign in there.
If Netflix Won’t Install or Play on Your iPad
- “Not compatible” on an older iPad: iPads on iOS 12 through 17 can still get the app if you downloaded it before on the same Apple Account. In the App Store, tap your profile picture, tap Apps & Purchase History, then Your Apps, choose Not on this iPad, and tap the download button next to Netflix. Accept the last compatible version if offered. Apple’s redownload apps page has the details.
- Use Safari: iPads on iPadOS 14 or later can watch in HD at netflix.com in Safari. You can’t download titles that way.
- Netflix is missing from the Home Screen or App Store: Screen Time can hide it. Go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > Content Restrictions > Apps. The app won’t show when this is set to Don’t Allow, 4+, or 9+, so choose 12+ or higher.
- The app crashes or freezes: close it from the app switcher, update it in the App Store, and restart the iPad. As a last step, turn on the Reset switch for Netflix in the iPad Settings app, but know that it removes any downloaded titles.
How to Sign Out of Netflix on iPad
Open the app, tap My Netflix in the lower right, tap the profile name at the top, then tap Sign Out twice. Signing out doesn’t delete your profiles or watch history. To sign out an iPad you can’t reach, follow the steps for signing out of Netflix on Roku, iPad, or iPhone.
Stream Netflix Only on Wi-Fi
This matters on cellular iPad models. In Netflix, open My Netflix, tap the profile name at the top, choose App Settings > Cellular Data Usage under Video Playback, turn Automatic off if needed, and choose Wi-Fi Only. Select OK if offered. Netflix’s data-use guide distinguishes this streaming setting from the separate Wi-Fi Only download switch. Pending downloads can prevent changing it until they finish or are canceled.
This setting only limits streaming. A Wi-Fi connection through another device’s cellular hotspot can still use that device’s mobile data. Netflix estimates up to about 3 GB per hour for HD video.
To stream on cellular without using as much data, see what Netflix’s Save Data and Maximum Data options do.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I watch Netflix on an old iPad?
Often, yes. If you downloaded Netflix before, you can redownload an older version on iOS 12 or later, and iPads on iPadOS 14 or later can use Safari. An iPad that never had the app and can’t update to iPadOS 18 can only use Safari.
Why do I see subtitles when they’re turned off?
You may see subtitles for dialogue in a language other than the title’s original language, even with subtitles off.
Is the Netflix app free on iPad?
Yes. The app is free to download, but you need a paid Netflix membership to watch anything.
How many people can watch on my account at once?
Two screens on either Standard plan and four on Premium. You can sign in on as many devices as you like.
Related Guides
- How to watch HBO Max on iPad
- How to watch Amazon Prime Video on iPad
- How to watch an iPad movie on your TV
Matthew Burleigh is the founder, head writer, and editor of Solve Your Tech, which he launched in 2012. He has written technology tutorials since 2008 and worked in IT since 2003, including small-business support, IT management, and consulting. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science from Arizona State University.
Matthew writes practical guides for Windows, iPhone and iPad, Microsoft Office, Outlook, Google apps, and Android. Solve Your Tech’s guides are checked step by step against the device or app maker’s own documentation and tested on his own devices whenever he has the hardware or software, with clear steps, sources, and update dates.
Read more about Matthew and how Solve Your Tech writes and updates its guides, or report a correction.