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Something you’ve likely experienced at least once is having nothing to watch during a long flight, a road trip, or when a sudden power outage hits. In such situations, even a solid pair of wireless earbuds and a playlist filled with your favorite tacks can only do so much. One of the best ways to keep your boredom at bay when you’re without a reliable internet connection is to catch up on all the shows and movies you’ve been meaning to watch, but haven’t had time to.
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Thankfully, many streaming services, including Netflix, let you download content to your devices, so you can watch even when Wi-Fi or cellular data isn’t an option. Unfortunately, if you prefer watching content on your laptop, downloading Netflix shows and movies may not be an option. Previously, you could download Netflix shows and movies on Windows laptops.
However, earlier this year, Netflix took a step back with its updated Windows app, and stripped away the option to download content. The updated app is a web-wrapped version instead of a standalone application. Although the update aimed to enhance user experience with live events, better streaming quality, and ad-supported plans, users worldwide expressed their disappointment at losing offline viewing support.
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As for Mac users, they never had the option for offline downloads. Unlike Windows, macOS doesn’t have a dedicated Netflix app, meaning Netflix is only accessible through browsers like Chrome, Safari, and Firefox. Without a Netflix app on macOS, there’s no way to download content for offline viewing. Even running Windows on macOS won’t help now. Strangely enough, the only laptops that still support Netflix downloads are Google Chromebooks. This raises the question: which other devices support Netflix downloads, and what options are there for offline streaming on a laptop?
Which devices support offline downloads, and what other options do you have?
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At the time of writing, Netflix states that you can download shows and movies on Android phones and tablets, iPhones and iPads, and Amazon Fire tablets, in addition to Google Chromebooks. If you’re using a Google Chromebook, make sure to download the Netflix app from the Google Play Store first. Once you’re all set, just head to the Netflix app, pick a TV show or a movie you’d like to watch offline, and hit the Download button.
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For TV shows, you’ll need to hit the button next to each episode you would like to download. It’s also a good idea to enable Netflix’s Smart Downloads feature, which takes offline watching a step further by automatically downloading the next episode of a show as soon as you finish the previous one. Here’s how to enable the feature:
- Switch to the My Netflix tab.
- Select the horizontal three lines at the top-right corner and select “App Settings” from the menu.
- Tap “Smart Downloads” under the “Downloads” header.
- Toggle on the switch next to “Download Next Episode.”
If you’d like to watch content offline on a Windows or Mac, it’s best to consider renting or purchasing movies and TV shows from platforms other than Netflix, or using a platform that supports downloads for offline viewing like Amazon Prime, Apple TV or the Microsoft Store, depending on the operating system you use. Alternatively, if you’re headed somewhere with a cellular signal, you can use mobile data and a hotspot to watch shows and movies on the go when Wi-Fi isn’t available.
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