How to Download Hulu Shows to Watch Offline

Yes, you can watch Hulu offline

by
Sam Costello
Sam Costello
Writer
Sam Costello has been writing about tech since 2000. His writing has appeared in publications such as CNN.com, PC World, InfoWord, and many others.
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Sam Costello
Updated on May 05, 2020

Streaming TV shows and movies on Hulu is great, but did you know you can download Hulu shows to watch offline? With a little planning, you can enjoy your favorite shows even when you don't have an internet connection.

What You Need to Watch Hulu Offline

To download Hulu shows, you need to meet the following requirements:

  • Your Hulu account must be No Ads or No Ads + Live TV.
  • The show you want to download must allow downloads. Not every TV series or movie is available to download, but thousands are.
  • You must have a supported iOS, Android, or Amazon Fire mobile device.
  • You must have the Hulu app installed on your device (free to download from the iOS App Store and Google Play Store).

Downloading from Hulu is only available on the mobile devices listed above. You can't download shows to desktop or laptop computers, or to smart TVs.

How to Download Hulu Shows to Watch Offline 

To download Hulu shows to watch offline, follow these steps:

  1. On your supported mobile device, launch the Hulu app.

  2. Tap Downloads to see all shows that are available to download.

  3. Tap the series that you want to download, then browse the seasons and episodes until you find something to download.

  4. Tap the download icon. When the download finishes, the button changes to a checkmark.

    Screenshots of how to download movies on Hulu.

    How long the download takes depends on how long the show is (a 30-minute show will download faster than a 90-minute movie) and whether you're downloading over Wi-Fi or cellular. And remember, downloading over cellular is likely to use a lot of your monthly data.

  5. Tap X to exit the series view, then tap the Downloads menu again to see a list of all of your downloaded episodes.

Is There a Limit on the Number of Hulu Downloads?

Now that you've seen how easy it is to download Hulu shows, you may want to pack your mobile device full of downloaded episodes. Go for it, but be aware that Hulu limits how many downloaded episodes you can have at a time.

As of this writing, you can only have 25 downloaded episodes. That limit is per account, so the number of devices you use to download doesn't matter. If the total downloads for your account across all devices reaches 25, you've hit your limit.

There are device limits, too. You can only have downloads on 5 devices at a time.

How to Delete Downloaded Hulu Shows

If you've hit your 25-episode download limit and want to download new shows, you'll have to delete some old ones. Here's how:

  1. In the Hulu app, tap Downloads.

  2. Tap Edit.

  3. Tap the circle next to the episode or episodes you want to delete.

  4. Tap the trash can icon.

  5. In the pop-up menu, tap Delete.

    Screenshots of download TV shows in Hulu.

Downloads are removed automatically after you watch them.

How Long Do Hulu Downloads Last?

Unwatched downloads stay active on your mobile device for 30 days after you download them. If you start playing a download, it stays valid for 48 hours after you start watching.

If you've got a download that you still haven't watched after 30 days, you may be able to renew the download. To do that, go to the Downloads menu, tap the exclamation point icon next to an episode, then tap Renew Download. This gives you another 30 days to watch the episode.

Have questions about downloading Hulu shows that weren't answered here, like what happens when you cancel your Hulu subscription or pause your account? Check out Hulu's list of Frequently Asked Questions to learn more.