Apple is phasing out its iTunes Wish List feature, prompting the company to offer users a method to transfer their saved movies and TV shows to the Apple TV app’s Watchlist. The change, announced via email to affected users, signals a continued shift away from the legacy iTunes platform towards Apple’s streaming-focused services.
According to an email obtained by 9to5Mac, Apple informed customers that the iTunes Wish List, also known as Favorites on tvOS, “is going away soon and will no longer be accessible.” The company is providing a PDF attachment containing links to each title on a user’s Wish List, allowing them to manually add the items to their Apple TV Watchlist. Adding items to the Watchlist will place them in the “Continue Watching” row within the Apple TV app’s Home tab.
The move comes as Apple increasingly prioritizes Apple Music and the Apple TV app as its primary destinations for content consumption. While the iTunes Store remains operational for purchasing and renting movies, TV shows, and music, the Wish List feature appears to be deemed redundant. A report from Bloomberg, highlighted by 9to5Mac, indicates that Apple is actively encouraging its industry partners to leverage the full range of its offerings, including reaching iTunes users who are not subscribed to Apple Music.
Notably, statistics shared by Apple reveal that over 80% of iTunes users are not Apple Music subscribers, representing a distinct audience for content promotion, particularly during initial release weeks. The company also stated that half of iTunes customers began purchasing content on the platform within the last decade, even after the launch of Apple Music, and that nearly 50% of the top 10,000 best-selling albums each quarter are new releases. This suggests continued demand for digital purchases alongside streaming services.
Despite the growth of streaming platforms like Spotify and YouTube, iTunes continues to maintain a significant user base. Apple’s continued promotion of iTunes to its partners indicates the platform remains a relevant component of its overall content strategy.
Users who do not manually transfer their Wish List items will not have access to them once the feature is discontinued. Apple has not announced a specific date for the complete removal of the iTunes Wish List functionality.
