Netflix will remove ‘Downloads’ feature on Windows next month

Netflix says Windows users will soon no longer be able to download movies or TV shows.

Netflix is planning to ditch the Windows 11 and Windows 10 app and might replace it with a progressive web app. While the upcoming Windows app will get improved video streaming quality and offer access to live events, it looks like the streaming giant will remove support for offline viewing.

While the current version of the Netflix app for Windows 10 and Windows 11 allows users to download their favourite shows in up to 1080p (FullHD), a new support document on the website that says “downloads will no longer be supported, but you can continue to watch TV shows and movies offline on a supported mobile device”. This means downloads will soon be limited to mobile and tablets.

The updated Netflix app for Windows will also support the ‘ad-supported’ tier, which lets users watch content on the platform at a much lower price than the standard plans and includes commercial breaks in most TV shows and movies. Also, some titles are unavailable on this tier because of licensing issues.

As of now, the Netflix Windows app does not support the ad-supported plan and shows a message that says, “Your plan does not support streaming on this device.” The ad-supported tier is not available in India, so you will soon have to go back to mobile if you want to watch movies or TV shows offline.

While it is still unclear if and when the new app will be available for download, Netflix says users who have enabled automatic updates for Microsoft Store will automatically install the new version when it’s out.