How to Download Netflix Movies and Shows for Offline Viewing

There are a few things you will need when planning your next trip: earplugs in case you are on a plane next to a toddler; a neck pillow if you can rest on flights; and distraction from the doldrums inherent in any travel experience that doesn’t go wrong. For most people, those helpful items are a book or a podcast, some music or a Nintendo Switch, or maybe just a little bit of work. Since you don’t usually have great access to Wi-Fi on a plane or train, a downloaded TV show or movie (or several) can also be helpful.

Outside of traveling there is of course plenty of times to watch Netflix, it’s just easier if you’ve downloaded the shows or movies so you can anytime you want. Note: You can have up to 100 downloads at one time on as many devices in your membership plan.

Here’s how to do it.

Download the Netflix app

To download movies and TV shows from the Netflix app, you must first download the latest version of the app. You can find it on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch with iOS 9.0 or higher, on your Android phone or tablet with Android 4.4.2 or higher, on your Amazon Fire tablet with Fire OS 4.0 or higher, on your Windows 10 tablet or computer with version 1607 (Anniversary Update) or later, and on select Chromebook and Chromebox models. Make sure to keep the app up to date so that it works 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 are in the app, you will notice that not all movies or TV shows are available for download on Netflix. Some of them don’t have the download button with the little down arrow. Netflix content rights are exclusive to another company, the rights are not available for Netflix to purchase, or a variety of other reasons, such as popularity, cost, availability or seasonal and other localized factors.

To find a movie or TV show is downloadable, tap your choice and look for the Downloads icon – a downward pointing arrow next to the play button. On a Windows 10 device, you 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 to download, depending on your device. You can also filter shows for what is available to download.

Download your TV show or movie

On your device, click the Download button (again that downward-facing arrow) next to an episode of a TV show or movie. It downloads the fastest and with the least data usage if you use good Wi-Fi. Once the show has downloaded, you can access it from your Downloads menu. All you need to do now is find the title you want to watch and hit play.

Downloads expire over time and some have a limit on how many times they can be downloaded per year. When you’re done watching, delete downloads from your device to make more space for – you guessed it – more downloads.