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How to download Netflix shows and watch offline

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Can’t stay away from Netflix? The world’s most popular streaming platform has been thinking about everything for a long time and allows you to download movies and TV series on smartphones. In this article, you can find out how to watch your favorite TV series on your device, whether Android or iOS, even without Wi-Fi.

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Which devices support downloading movies and TV series to Netflix?

Netflix allows you to watch movies, shows, and TV series on your app, even without Wi-Fi on:

  • An Android smartphone or tablet with 4.4.2 or later
  • An iOS device (iPhone, iPad, iPod touch) with iOS 9 or later
  • A tablet or PC with Windows 10 version 1607 or later
netflix
You can download movies and TV series to your smartphone. / © NextPit

How to download Netflix movies on Android and iOS

Requirements

If you have any of these devices, make sure you’re connected to the Wi-Fi network before downloading and that you have the latest version of the app installed, and lastly, make sure you have an active account on Netflix.

How to proceed with the download

Once you open the Netflix app you’ll find a download icon in the bottom bar. In this section, you’ll find downloaded movies and shows, but you can also go search for new content to download. By clicking on the dedicated button, you’ll be redirected to a screen that will show you all the downloadable contents.

Once you’ve found the movie or episode of a series you wish to download, just click on the arrow icon and wait until the download is finished. Remember that for movies, the download icon is available on the description page, and for series the download icon is next to each individual episode.

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You can download no more than 100 titles to your device at a time: shouldn’t that be enough?  / © NextPit

Is the download option not available?

If you’ve been looking for a specific movie in the catalog and you don’t see the download icon, that means that the content cannot be downloaded. Not all content available on Netflix supports downloading.

Two functions you need to know

There are two important functions that you should know are both hidden in your app settings. One function lets you select the quality of the downloaded videos: you can choose between the standard quality (reduced and trimmed down file) or the superior one, which uses more memory and brings the video quality up to 1080p.

On Android, you can take advantage of Smart Downloads, a sort of manager that will keep everything in the downloads section in order. Enabling this option will erase completed episodes and replace them with subsequent ones. If you’re worried about data consumption, you can rest assured that this feature will only work if you have Wi-Fi.

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Smart Download will keep your downloads in order and always up to date.  / © NextPit

Don't forget your device's SD card

If you have a device with support for microSD, you can use it to save your movies instead of storing them on the device itself:

  1. Open the Netflix app.
  2. Go to the app’s settings menu.
  3. Click Download location in the download section.
  4. Here you can decide where to place your downloaded files.

Do you use the download function on Netflix or do you only stream movies and TV series?

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Jessica Murgia

Jessica Murgia
Editor

Italian editor and Android lover: with her, all the most intimate secrets of Android will be revealed! Chronic traveler, a lover of good wine and good food, Jessica is crazy for shopping and passionate about technology! What's never missing in her bag? A book, an MP3 player, her Android smartphone and an external battery!

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6 comments
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  • 4
    -johny- Apr 4, 2020 Link to comment

    A very good article. Everyone is facing low internet speed so they can put download their favorite shows and movies before bedtime. and will enjoy in the day :)

    and one more thing you should tell for users about free netflix after coronavirus.

    Thanks


  • 25
    Deactivated Account Apr 2, 2020 Link to comment

    Jessica Maam, please take good care of yourself during this Corona outbreak. All of us care for you very much.
    Thank you

    ChatmoresleyDavid McCourt


  • 25
    Deactivated Account Apr 2, 2020 Link to comment

    Thank you for the article. It is very informative for Netflix viewers. I am more of a voracious reader and watch only educational based videos on YouTube, Curiosity Stream etc. Don't know why, but I don't like even the slightest dose of millennial pop culture despite being of their age group. Of course, Netflix also has many documentaries, but that is not its forte.


  • 27
    Sorin Jan 5, 2018 Link to comment

    Is it necessary to login to Netflix?


  • Jocelyn Englund 2
    Jocelyn Englund Mar 11, 2017 Link to comment

    Netflix should support ALL android devices.. I have a Yoga Tab 3 Pro, a fairly capable device and it doesn't have the download option Available.

    Sorin


  • 5
    elentatalo Feb 10, 2017 Link to comment

    This is what im looking for, it works

    SorinAlaxhooBrittany McGhee

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