{"id":"external-drives.how-do-i-move-the-tv-app-media-to-an-external-drive","url":"/faq/external-drives/how-do-i-move-the-tv-app-media-to-an-external-drive","category":{"id":"external-drives","title":"External drives"},"subcategory":{"id":"libraries-and-startup","title":"Media libraries and starting up from a drive"},"question":"How do I move my TV app movies and shows to an external drive?","alt_questions":["TV app media folder external drive","Move downloaded movies to external SSD Mac","Apple TV app library location change","store purchased movies on external drive","Can I keep my TV app's movies and home videos on an external drive?","tv app media folder location","move movies to external drive mac tv app","apple tv app storage external","home videos external drive mac","tv app files location change","where tv app stores movies"],"short_answer":"In TV → Settings → Files, change the media folder to a folder on your external drive, then use File → Library → Organize Library to consolidate existing media there. Keep the drive connected when you use the TV app.","answer_markdown":"The TV app lets you choose where its media lives. Open **TV → Settings → Files**, click **Change** next to the media folder location, and pick a folder on your external drive. Then use **File → Library → Organize Library** and choose to consolidate files to copy existing media there. Check everything plays before deleting the old copies.\n\nThe drive must be connected whenever you open the TV app, or the media can't be found. Purchased movies and shows can also simply be deleted from the Mac and streamed or downloaded again later. See [removing downloaded movies and shows](/faq/mac-storage-basics/how-do-i-remove-downloaded-tv-and-movies).","answer_html":"

The TV app lets you choose where its media lives. Open TV → Settings → Files, click Change next to the media folder location, and pick a folder on your external drive. Then use File → Library → Organize Library and choose to consolidate files to copy existing media there. Check everything plays before deleting the old copies.

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The drive must be connected whenever you open the TV app, or the media can't be found. Purchased movies and shows can also simply be deleted from the Mac and streamed or downloaded again later. See removing downloaded movies and shows.

","answer_text":"The TV app lets you choose where its media lives. Open TV → Settings → Files, click Change next to the media folder location, and pick a folder on your external drive. Then use File → Library → Organize Library and choose to consolidate files to copy existing media there. Check everything plays before deleting the old copies.\n\nThe drive must be connected whenever you open the TV app, or the media can't be found. Purchased movies and shows can also simply be deleted from the Mac and streamed or downloaded again later. See removing downloaded movies and shows.","tags":["tv app","media library","external drive","movies"],"related":[{"id":"external-drives.how-do-i-open-a-photos-library-on-an-external-drive","question":"How do I open a Photos library that's on an external drive?","url":"/faq/external-drives/how-do-i-open-a-photos-library-on-an-external-drive"},{"id":"external-drives.can-i-use-the-drive-as-an-occasional-archive","question":"Can I keep the fast drive in a drawer and plug it in only when I need old files?","url":"/faq/external-drives/can-i-use-the-drive-as-an-occasional-archive"},{"id":"external-drives.what-happens-to-moved-folders-when-the-drive-is-unplugged","question":"What happens to folders I moved to the external drive when it's unplugged?","url":"/faq/external-drives/what-happens-to-moved-folders-when-the-drive-is-unplugged"}],"applies_to":"all","last_reviewed":"2026-10-01","title":"How do I move my TV app movies and shows to an external drive? — Storage Studio FAQ","description":"In TV → Settings → Files, change the media folder to a folder on your external drive, then use File → Library → Organize Library to consolidate existing media there. Keep the drive connected when you use the TV app.","crumbs":[{"name":"Home","path":"/"},{"name":"FAQ","path":"/faq/"},{"name":"External drives","path":"/faq/external-drives/"},{"name":"How do I move my TV app movies and shows to an external drive?","path":"/faq/external-drives/how-do-i-move-the-tv-app-media-to-an-external-drive"}],"jsonld":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/external-drives/how-do-i-move-the-tv-app-media-to-an-external-drive","inLanguage":"en","dateModified":"2026-10-01","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"How do I move my TV app movies and shows to an external drive?","alternateName":["TV app media folder external drive","Move downloaded movies to external SSD Mac","Apple TV app library location change","store purchased movies on external drive","Can I keep my TV app's movies and home videos on an external drive?","tv app media folder location","move movies to external drive mac tv app","apple tv app storage external","home videos external drive mac","tv app files location change","where tv app stores movies"],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"The TV app lets you choose where its media lives. Open TV → Settings → Files, click Change next to the media folder location, and pick a folder on your external drive. Then use File → Library → Organize Library and choose to consolidate files to copy existing media there. Check everything plays before deleting the old copies.\n\nThe drive must be connected whenever you open the TV app, or the media can't be found. Purchased movies and shows can also simply be deleted from the Mac and streamed or downloaded again later. See removing downloaded movies and shows.","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/external-drives/how-do-i-move-the-tv-app-media-to-an-external-drive"}}]},"fragment":"
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External drives · Media libraries and starting up from a drive

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How do I move my TV app movies and shows to an external drive?

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Short answer: In TV → Settings → Files, change the media folder to a folder on your external drive, then use File → Library → Organize Library to consolidate existing media there. Keep the drive connected when you use the TV app.

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The TV app lets you choose where its media lives. Open TV → Settings → Files, click Change next to the media folder location, and pick a folder on your external drive. Then use File → Library → Organize Library and choose to consolidate files to copy existing media there. Check everything plays before deleting the old copies.

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The drive must be connected whenever you open the TV app, or the media can't be found. Purchased movies and shows can also simply be deleted from the Mac and streamed or downloaded again later. See removing downloaded movies and shows.

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