In this guide we’ll show you how to download Netflix movies and shows for offline playback. Being able to Netflix and chill is great, but if you have a long plane ride coming up you’ll want to download some movies to enjoy later. This way you can watch Netflix without an internet connection or WiFi.
For now, this feature only works with the Netflix app on select devices. That list includes Android, iPhone, tablets, Chromebooks, and even PCs with Windows 10.
And while Netflix doesn’t give us access to its entire catalog for offline playback, there are plenty of movies and TV shows to watch. So, fire up the app, choose the download quality and get started by following our quick video guide or step-by-step instructions below.
How to Download Movies & TV Shows from Netflix (Offline)
The first time you open the Netflix app you’ll get a little popup explaining the offline download feature. However, a lot of people forget it exists. Even if you missed it, just watch our video or hit the “Downloads” column near the bottom of the app to get started.
However, before you do that we recommend choosing your download quality and storage location first before you start searching for shows to save for later.
Instructions
- Open the Netflix app on Android, iOS, Windows 10 or Chromebooks
- Tap the More button near the bottom right and head to App Settings
- Choose your video download quality and download location (if available)
Netflix offers two quality levels for downloads: Standard and High. And while they don’t say if HD is 720p or 1080p, it looks great on phones and tablet. I download shows in Standard, which is probably somewhere around DVD quality. This saves time and space, as the files aren’t as big.
Once you choose the download quality and location, like a microSD card, you’re ready to start downloading movies and TV shows to your device.
- Tap the Downloads column near the bottom right of the screen
- Select Find More to Download (if you didn’t already)
- Browse the collection of content available for download (not everything will be available)
- Simply hit the Download arrow and let the app do the rest
Alternatively, you can simply look for the download button when browsing the catalog. Hitting the “Find more t0 download” simply filters out content Netflix doesn’t offer for download yet. Making it easier to browse and find shows you know you’ll be able to save for later.
At any moment go to My Downloads or simply tap the downloads column again, and you’ll see your entire list of movies and shows on the device. Click to watch anything your heart desires.
How Many Movies Can I Download?
The number of movies or TV shows you can download depends on the quality you choose and how much storage space you have on your device. A typical 2-hour movie on Standard will use around 400-500MB. So two movies per 1GB of free space on your phone or tablet.
I downloaded the entire hit series Stranger Things to watch. The first episode is 48 minutes long and took 197MB of space in Standard quality and 310MB on High. And the entire season took less than 2GB of space total in Standard quality, which looked great.
If you’re watching on a bigger screen or pickier than me, you’ll want to download in High quality.
Other Details
Just remember, the entire Netflix library isn’t available to download. Anything extremely new or popular likely won’t be an option right away. Over time movies and shows available for download come and go, just like the regular library.
If you don’t want to search forever for something to download, just look for a Netflix Originals movie or show. You can count on those being available for playback offline almost immediately.
In closing, at any moment you can head to More > App Settings and delete your entire download collection to free up space on your device.
