How to download Netflix

Netflix is great for binging shows and films, but what do you do if you have slow internet, or no access to the web whatsoever? Well, you can actually download content straight from Netflix – its an excellent way to get around internet issues. 

Netflix allows users to download TV shows and movies via its app for iOS, Android and PC for offline viewing. It isn’t immediately obvious how to make the most of the feature, so here’s our guide to downloading your favourite Netflix titles – including a workaround for the shows and films not included in the official download programme.

Smart Downloads, available via the Netflix app for smartphones and PC, automatically deletes episodes of the series you’ve watched and downloads the next one, making watching your favourite series offline much easier.

If you are planning to download any shows, the file sizes are going to be quite large – we recommend doing this over Wi-Fi, so you don’t eat up all your data.

Downloading content via the Netflix app

Launch the Netflix app and select the Downloads tab. Ensure that Smart Downloads is turned on at the the top of the screen (if it is not, tap this and slide the toggle to enable it). Now tap ‘Find Something to Download’.

This is a shortcut to the ‘Available for Download’ section in the menu. You should see a huge selection of shows available to download, as well as some of the most popular movies. 

Any show or movie that is available to download will have the downward facing arrow symbol next to it, which you can see in example below, to the right of the episode ‘Hyde Park Corner’. 

Once you’ve found a show you’re interested in and want to watch offline, perhaps on your commute or on a long flight, select it and then tap the Download icon next to the episode you’re after. You will then see a blue progress bar along the bottom of the app. Once downloaded, you’ll see a blue icon next to that episode.

You can find your downloaded shows by navigating to the menu and tapping My Downloads. Simply press play and watch away. You can have up to 100 downloads on your device. 

If you have enough space on your phone or tablet and some time before you’ll be disconnected from the internet, you might want to download in higher video quality. To do so, go to the menu and scroll down to App Settings. Under Downloads, tap Download Video Quality and choose the option that suits you.

Note that not all content from Netflix is available to download, sadly. This could be due to a number of factors including cost, popularity, availability and complications surrounding content rights. It may be that the show/film is available through another provider for offline viewing, so check that out before you discount it completely.