Netflix may be one of the biggest players in the online video space, but now you don’t need to be online to actually watch Netflix videos.

The company has rolled out an update that lets you download movies and TV shows so you can watch when you may not have an internet connection. The new download feature is available for Netflix users around the globe and you don’t need to pay anything more than you’re already paying for a Netflix subscription to use it.

But not all videos are available for downloading. And downloading is only available on select devices so far.

netflix-down

The latest Netflix apps for Android and iOS let you download videos on phones and tablets. If you’ve got a Windows phone or tablet, or use a web browser to stream Netflix on a Windows, Mac, Linux, or Chrome OS device, then no downloads for you. The same goes for smart TV devices like Roku, Apple TV, or Amazon Fire TV.

Most Netflix originals seem to be available for download, so you can gab the entire season of Stranger Things or Narcos to watch on your next plane ride. And there’s plenty of content available from third-parties as well.

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But not all movies and TV shows can be downloaded. So you’ll either need to look for the download icon next to a video to see if you can save it for offline viewing, or use the new “Available for Download” browser to exclusively navigate through the subset of Netflix videos which are available for download.

Netflix also lets you choose between “standard” and “high” quality for video downloads. Standard quality videos take up less space, but they still look pretty good on my Nexus 5X smartphones 5.2 inch, 1080p display.

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The Android app also now shows how much free space is left on your device, how much space Netflix is using, and an option to remove all downloaded videos at once.

Videos are saved to internal storage on Android devices: there’s currently no option to save videos to an SD card.

I haven’t tested the iOS app, so I don’t know if the UI looks a bit different for that platform.

Reports surfaced earlier this year that Netflix was planning to add support for offline viewing. But the company isn’t the first online video service to enable support for video downloads. Amazon Prime Video has offered a similar feature for more than a year.

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11 replies on “Now you can download (some) Netflix videos for offline viewing”

  1. Can this be done on a Kindle Fire? Thanks in advance for your response.

    1. We just tried this on my sister’s Kindle Fire, and it doesn’t seem to be enabled at this time. Here’s Hoping, though

  2. Oh cool I’ll be able to watching the videos I pay for on my laptop on a plane. Oh wait, I have to watch on my phone instead. I’ll guess I’ll pass on Netflix.

  3. I wonder if you could cast a downloaded show using chromecast. I’ve got friends who buy DVDs because their camp does not have internet access. Nor do they want to pay for cable/satellite since they are only there on weekends in the Summer usually. I’m sure they’d like the content on a tv though.
    I suppose a newer ChromeOS device which has Android running as well could hook up to a TV for output readily enough.

  4. if those screenshots are from your mobile .. those are some really interesting choice.. i have been a big fan of poirot and murdoch mysteries.. rest i will check later.. Thank you..

    1. My wife and I never got around to setting up separate profiles, so our suggestions are pretty… eclectic. 🙂

      1. The big push to create separate profiles comes if/when you have a toddler and Thomas the Tank engine recommendations become the norm.

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