One of the most useful features that Netflix has introduced in recent years is offline access, allowing users to download movies and shows for viewing away from WiFi or a costly mobile data plan. It is great for long plane rides and car journeys, or even just when you want to watch something without eating up all your monthly data allowance. However, there is a catch, and it is related to the duration of downloaded shows and movies on your device.
It may surprise some to learn that Netflix doesn’t own the copyrights of all their shows and movies. This is why some titles only remain available for downloading for a short period of time, while others are available to be streamed forever. The period of availability for the downloaded content depends on two main factors.
The first factor is the copyrights of the title itself. Netflix has contracts with some of the major networks and studios to offer their content on their platform. These agreements sometimes stipulate that the movie or TV show will only be able to be downloaded for a certain number of times within a year by any given user, and once the limit is reached, it will no longer be available to download.
This is usually stated on the Downloads page and can be viewed by selecting a specific show or movie with the downward arrow icon in the description. The expiry date will then be shown, with 48 hours being the standard. If the download is not watched before its expiry date, it will automatically delete from your device.
