Apple fans just lost their movie and TV wish lists in iOS and tvOS updates

Apple TV 4K with Severance on the TV screen
(Image credit: Apple)

If you watch lots of TV, chances are you’ve got a wish list of shows you want to watch next, and users of the official Apple TV app had been able to enjoy that functionality for programs on Apple’s streaming service – until the company killed off the feature with absolutely no warning.

Anyone who had saved a wish list of Apple TV shows on iOS, iPadOS or tvOS has had their list removed from all of their devices. The change has left users up in arms, with many complaining that it's a disastrous move on Apple’s part.

The change came about in the iOS 17.2, iPadOS 17.2 and tvOS 17.2 updates. These removed the option to purchase TV shows from the iTunes Store app, with users now being redirected to buy shows in the Apple TV app. Yet, for some unknown reason, the updates also removed wish lists entirely, without any warning of what was about to happen.

It’s unknown whether this was intentional on Apple’s part or simply a bug. What’s more, we don’t know if Apple has the ability to restore these lists to users’ devices, or, if it does, whether it intends to do so.

Gone for good?

Apple TV app

(Image credit: Apple)

The move has left users disappointed, to say the least. As one commenter on Reddit said, “I’ve looked on iOS, and my wish list has completely disappeared. I’ve been building it for about 10 years, and it had a little over 400 movies on it. I wish Apple would’ve thought this through more before just springing such a drastic change on us.”

In iOS 17.2, iPadOS 17.2 and tvOS 17.2, there's a + button that you can use to save content to watch later. However, this simply adds the show to your Up Next queue, which will play it after your current content has finished. It does not add it to any kind of wish list.

Will wish lists make a comeback, given the hordes of people complaining about the change? We can’t be sure, but MacRumors isn’t convinced. The outlet noted that Apple removed App Store wish lists in iOS 11 – prompting a large number of angry user objections – but that feature never came back.

If you want an app that can save wish lists for future viewing, there are alternatives, including Sofa and Letterboxd. These apps won’t bring wish lists back to your Apple TV app, but at least they give you a good way to manage your media after Apple’s latest move.

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Alex Blake
Freelance Contributor

Alex Blake has been fooling around with computers since the early 1990s, and since that time he's learned a thing or two about tech. No more than two things, though. That's all his brain can hold. As well as TechRadar, Alex writes for iMore, Digital Trends and Creative Bloq, among others. He was previously commissioning editor at MacFormat magazine. That means he mostly covers the world of Apple and its latest products, but also Windows, computer peripherals, mobile apps, and much more beyond. When not writing, you can find him hiking the English countryside and gaming on his PC.

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