There are a few things you’ll need while planning your next trip: earplugs in case you’re seated next to a toddler on an airplane; a neck pillow if you have the ability to rest on flights; and distractions from the doldrums inherent to any travel experience that doesn’t go awry. For most people, those helpful items include a book or a podcast, some music or a Nintendo Switch, or maybe just a bit of work. Since you don’t typically have excellent access to WiFi on a plane or train, a downloaded TV show or movie (or several) could also prove helpful.
Outside of travel, of course, there are plenty of times watching Netflix is simply easier if you have the shows or movies downloaded so you can view them offline whenever you want. Note: You can have up to 100 downloads at a time on as many devices on your membership plan.
Here’s how to do it.
Download the Netflix app
In order to download movies and TV shows from the Netflix app, you’ll first need to download the latest version of the app. You can find it on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch running iOS 9.0 or later, on your Android phone or tablet running Android 4.4.2 or later, on your Amazon Fire tablet running Fire OS 4.0 or later, on your Windows 10 tablet or computer running Version 1607 (Anniversary Update) or later, and on select Chromebook and Chromebox models. Make sure you keep the app updated for it to work the best. To see if your app needs to be updated, navigate to your App Store and tap updates.
Choose your TV show or movie
Once you’re in the app, you’ll find that not all movies or TV shows are available to download on Netflix. Some of them will not have the little down arrow download button. Netflix says this is because content rights are exclusive to another company, the rights aren’t available for Netflix to purchase, or a whole host of other reasons, like popularity, cost, availability, or seasonal and other localized factors.
To find a movie or TV show that is downloadable, tap on your choice and look for the Downloads icon — a downward-facing arrow located near the play button. On a Windows 10 device, you’ll need to open the Netflix app and select Menu, then navigate to See What You Can Download, Find Something to Download, Find More to Download, or Available for Download, depending on your device. You can also filter for shows by what is available for download.
Download your TV show or movie
On your device, click the Download button — that downward-facing arrow again — next to a TV show episode or a movie. It’ll download the fastest, and with the least data usage, if you’re on good WiFi. Once the show is downloaded, you’ll have access to it in your Downloads menu. All you have to do now is find the title you want to watch and press play.
Downloads will expire after a period of time, and some have a limit on how many times they can be downloaded per year. Once you’re done watching, delete downloads from your device to make more room for — you guessed it — more downloads.