Apple said last week that it would begin pushing users looking to buy TV shows or movies away from its iTunes Store. But the company didn’t warn them that their wishlists in the store would also be removed.
On December 17, Apple removed wishlists from iOS 17.2, iPads 17.2, and tvOS 17.2, meaning users with these devices can no longer purchase TV shows and films through iTunes Store apps, according to Mac Rumors. Instead, users are directed to the Apple TV app.
This move ruffled the feathers of some customers whose wishlists vanished without a chance to export them to Apple TV. The company didn’t tell customers this would happen, leaving many fuming over lost wishlists with no way to retrieve them.
Apple was not immediately available for comment.
The wishlists let users add TV shows and movies while browsing. Customers could watch for sales on video content or save titles to watch later. Although these lists are gone for most users, the Apple support page shows some can still see their wishlists on the iTunes Store app on iOS devices. However, there’s no certainty the lists will remain accessible or for how long.
As one user posted on Apple’s discussion page, their wishlist of nearly 200 films is gone, but as the list never synced with other devices, they couldn’t view it on Apple TV anyway. The poster and several others were told their feedback was sent to engineers after contacting Apple customer service chat for help.
Apple TV has a wishlist feature, although it’s understandably frustrating for users with a well established list already curated on another platform to lose without warning.
The Apple Music app and Apple TV app can read the contents of your iTunes library. When Apple Music replaced iTunes in 2019, member’s playlists were imported from one platform to the other. Apple TV also absorbed a user’s iTunes purchases. But with this new update, wishlists are gone, and the only option is to begin a new watchlist for the new year on Apple TV.