How to Download Shows on Netflix for Offline Viewing
Download Netflix titles in the phone, tablet, or Windows app by tapping the download icon, then watch them from the Downloads tab without a connection.
Applies to: current Netflix apps; account settings at netflix.com noted. Last checked September 11, 2026. Suggest an edit
You have a flight or a commute without a signal and want to watch Netflix anyway. Downloads work in the iPhone, iPad, Android, and Windows apps. They do not work in a browser or on TVs.
Open the title in the app
Open the Netflix app and search for the show or movie. Tap it to open the details page.
Tap the download icon
For a movie, tap the Download button (a downward arrow) under the title. For a series, each episode has its own download arrow next to it; tap one for every episode you want. A progress ring shows while it downloads, and a checkmark appears when it finishes. If there is no download arrow, the title is not available for download.
Watch from Downloads
Tap My Netflix at the bottom of the app (older versions show a Downloads tab instead), then Downloads. Tap a title to play it. Nothing here needs a connection.
Change download quality and storage
Tap My Netflix, the menu icon, then App Settings (the exact path varies slightly by platform). Under Downloads you can switch Download Video Quality between Standard and High (High uses several times more storage), keep Wi-Fi Only on so downloads never use mobile data, and on Android phones with an SD card choose the Download Location.
Turn on Smart Downloads if you want
In the same Downloads settings, Smart Downloads deletes an episode after you finish it and downloads the next one automatically the next time you are on Wi-Fi. Turn it off if you prefer to manage episodes by hand.
Not everything can be downloaded. Licensing decides which titles get a download arrow, and some titles cap how many times you can download them per year. Each plan limits how many devices can hold downloads at once, and ad-supported plans have had download limits or no downloads at all depending on region, so check your plan details on the account page.
Downloads expire. Most last between 7 days and a few weeks, and some expire 48 hours after you first press play. The Downloads screen shows a warning when a title has less than 7 days left. An expired title has to be downloaded again.