Arguably the best online streaming service today, Netflix introduced the much-requested offline viewing option to users a while ago and it caught on like wildfire, but the feature has some limitations.
Limitations are of two types: one is related to your device and the other is how Netflix’s content license works.
While most of these limitations shouldn’t bother you if you’re not a heavy Netflix user, but if you are, here are the issues you might face and how to resolve them.
Also read: 8 TV shows worth watching on Netflix right now.
Netflix download limit
Storage space issues
Each TV show or movie you download to watch offline takes up a certain amount of space, depending on the quality, on the internal storage of your device: PC, Tab or smartphone.
Now, if your Tab or smartphone’s internal storage is low, you can only save a limited number of movies/episodes for offline viewing.
Users with devices with an expandable memory card slot can also try increasing their device’s internal storage, here’s how to do it.
license issues
While Netflix does not place a direct limit on the number of videos you can download, certain licensing agreements Netflix has with studios and individual distributors may dictate the same.
If you receive an error message that says “You have downloaded too many videos”, you may have downloaded more videos than the same license agreement (same TV show) allows.
“Our content is generally licensed under title packages from individual studios and distributors. There may be limits on the number of titles from the same agreement that you can download at the same time,” the company said. .
The only way to avoid this is to remove the previous videos, which you have already watched, from the download library.
Depending on the titles, once you download them, they will expire after two days or a week and you will need an active internet connection to reactivate the downloads.
Downloads on too many devices
Netflix offers a variety of subscriptions from one device to four. But if there are too many simultaneous downloads of the same TV show or movie, users may get an error saying “You have downloads on too many devices.”
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This means you have exceeded the limit allowed to download the same title on different devices.
To download the title on more devices, you will first need to remove the download from an existing device or you can upgrade your streaming plan.
Please note that you will need to restart the app after removing downloads in order for Netflix’s servers to update the download status of your subscription and allow new downloads on other devices.
Also Read: All Upcoming Netflix Original Series, Movies This Year.
To update: Reportedly, in addition to the aforementioned limits, Netflix has also started placing limits on how many times you can download the same content in a year.
Netflix has redefined the way people watch TV and by allowing its users to download shows and movies for offline viewing has given a big boost to the popularity of the app, which rivals Amazon Prime Video.
The company is also trying to expand its reach as it is currently hiring translators, but has also blocked Netflix app downloads on rooted Android phones.