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How to Watch Popcorn Time on Mac

best vpns for popcorntime image

Do you like to stream movies and television on your Mac? Are you tired of having to switch between multiple applications to try and find the exact title you want to see? Popcorn Time is a free, multi-platform application that allows users access to a world of entertainment all in one stop!

Like other streaming services, Popcorn Times video on demand catalog is user friendly and current, but has the added benefit of being absolutely massive! It’s pretty much the one stop shop of video-on-demand.

It’s no surprise that Popcorn Time has seen such a huge boom in users since 2016. Unfortunately, it was really sad to watch original Popcorn Time shut down. Sure, there are other imitations of the service. You can get these programs on practically all your devices, including your Mac. Let’s take a look at the ins and outs of the Popcorn Time Mac application.

Since Popcorn Time is no longer available, we decided to stray from its imitations and find the best alternatives. Our experts tinkered about with free streaming hubs and compiled a lost of the Top 10.

About Popcorn Time on Mac

Using Popcorn time on Mac is simple, but some users find the download process a little complicated. Mac has a built-in security system that does not like it when users try to download unknown, third-party applications. This means that your attempt to download Popcorn Time might be thwarted on first try.

The Popcorn Time Beta for Mac may require a little more legwork, but the result is very worth it. With just a few extra steps, you can download this comprehensive video-on-demand library to your system.


Popcorn Time download – Mac

To download Popcorn Time on Mac, you first need to navigate to the appropriate download page on the Popcorn Time website.


Popcorn Time download – Mac

After you’ve clicked Download, the .pkg file can be located in your downloads list.


Popcorn Time download – Mac - downloads

How to install Popcorn Time on Mac

Now that you have downloaded Popcorn Time for Mac, we can begin the installation process, which starts by clicking the .pkg file in your Downloads list.

At this point, your Mac may tell you it cannot open a third-party application from an unknown developer.

How to install Popcorn Time on Mac

No worries! Head over to your System Preferences and navigate to Security & Privacy Preferences.

Security & Privacy Preferences

There will be a notice about the file and an Open Anyway button. Select Open Anyway.

Now, you will find yourself on Popcorn Times installation guide.

Popcorn Times installation guide - introduction

Simply follow the on-screen guide to complete the installation of Popcorn Time for Mac.

Setup

Now that you’ve downloaded your app, let’s take a look at the settings and discuss their importance.

Popcorn Times settings location

In the settings menu, you’ll find adjustments that can be made to the interface, such as language and theme. Below the interface settings is the subtitle size adjustment. There are very intricate size adjustments that can be made here to ensure an enjoyable viewing experience.

Last, but certainly not least, are the most important settings – the download options. Here you can set up a new cache folder and direct the application to clear your cache upon leaving the Popcorn Time app. But, the very last check box is where you really need to look.

The last option allows Popcorn Time to warn you when you are using the program without a VPN. Using a VPN with Popcorn Time is highly recommended. This setting is basically the equivalent of your mother reminding you to grab your umbrella before heading into a storm.

We’ll discuss further down the importance of a VPN for Popcorn Time, but we highly recommend both using a VPN and keeping this setting checked.

Popcorn Times settings

Streaming Popcorn Time on Mac

Popcorn Time has a built-in video player, which makes streaming from your application on Mac very simple!

The UI of Popcorn Time is very similar to Netflix and allows for easy searching, either through genre or program type. You can also use the manual search function located at the top right of the landing page.

Popcorn Times media library

Simply find a show or movie you are interested in and give it a click. You’ll then be on that program’s page, which allows you to select from episodes (where applicable) and see the stats of the program itself, including reviews.

Popcorn Times movie intro

Once you’ve come to your final decision, ensure that the language and quality settings next to the Watch It Now button are correct, then simply click Watch It Now!

Troubleshooting – Popcorn Time not working on Mac

There are a couple of frequently reported bugs with Popcorn Time for Mac. Here’s a short list and their fixes.

  • App won’t work/open – it’s possible that your version of the application is having issues. Try updating or downgrading to a different version. Also, be certain that file you have downloaded is from a trusted webpage, like those that end in .to or .io.
  • Data loading error – this is likely a bandwidth issue or a firewall issue. Try restarting your internet connection and ensuring you have Popcorn Time listed as a trusted app!
  • Other electronics get kicked from Wifi when using Popcorn Time – this is probably because of the bandwidth use. You can set a bandwidth usage limit to the device using Popcorn Time to prevent this.

Importance of VPN for Popcorn Time

As we mentioned above, using a top-notch Mac VPN with Popcorn Time is important. Popcorn Time uses the power of torrenting to provide quick, easy, and free access to an enormous catalogue of videos. As with any program that downloads files in via P2P, you need to ensure you’re protected from prying eyes and cyber-criminals.

The best way to do this is to use a VPN, or Virtual Private Network. With a good VPN, your location and identity become anonymized. You are completely hidden and free on the internet. This not only safeguards you from digital bad guys but also protects you from accusations of downloading pirated works.

It’s important to abide by copyright laws when torrenting, but with a VPN, there are no worries about clicking a misleading title or link and ending up with a multi-thousand dollar fine.

Popcorn Time is video-on-demand for the modern era. It’s everything you could want in a streaming app, and with the proper protection from a good VPN, you can enjoy it without worry!

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You may also want to read:

Popcorn time on Roku
Popcorn time on Firestick
Popcorn time on Kodi
Popcorn time on ChromeCast
Popcorn time on Apple TV
10 best Popcorn Time alternatives

6 comments
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  1. Barb May 31, 2019 at 5:19 pm

    Have recently switched from a PC to a MAC and there are a lot of things I need to learn. This was a helpful guide that helped me install Popcorn Time and I also started learning more about VPNs and such. Bookmarked your site for further reading.


  2. Iva April 30, 2019 at 7:37 pm

    The installer is asking me to log in before installing, any advice? Thanks!


  3. Meier April 12, 2019 at 9:33 am

    Great job and thanks for this, however, I do know using torrents isn’t illegal, but viewing copyrighted material without paying for it is, so one has to be very careful lol
    So my question is, what If you want to completely delete the Popcorn Time Mac application? What are the precautionary steps to achieve that? Thanks


  4. Alma Halldórsdóttir February 22, 2019 at 3:51 pm

    I sure don’t mess around with Macs. Apple products cost too much and they’re a pain to use (I’ve used them at work). Glad you guys posted how to use Popcorn Time on Macs because it seems like a very popular service for people looking to get their favorite entertainment programming.


  5. Jess Foster February 6, 2019 at 12:41 pm

    I only needed an alternative App to stream videos and shows and i felt Popcorn time App would just fit in. The download and set-up process was easy and the App offered exactly what I wanted


  6. Bob R January 30, 2019 at 12:15 pm

    Great content here, the Mac installation process is quite easy indeed, just need to get a VPN now and I’ll be ready to have some popcorn time !! Thanks for the short list of alternatives as well, I’ll go check them out.

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