How to Use the Netflix App for Android Tablet to Watch Shows Offline

Download movies from Netflix to watch on your Android tablet

by
Jon Martindale
Jon Martindale
Writer
Jon Martindale has been a feature tech writer for more than 10 years. He's written for publications such as Digital Trends, KitGuru, and ITProPortal.
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Jon Martindale
Updated on December 24, 2020

Even with the best smartphone plan and tons of data, there's always a limit. If you want to view media while on the move, learning how to download shows from Netflix on your Android device is the best way to watch movies and shows offline.

Instructions in the article apply to smartphones and tablets running Android 4.4.2 KitKat or later. Your tablet can be made by any manufacturer, such as Samsung, Google, Asus, etc.

How to Download Movies From Netflix

You'll first need to install the Netflix app, which you can download from the Google Play Store.

Install Netflix button in Google Play Store

Once it's installed, the steps to download movies are the same regardless of which type of device you use:

  1. Launch the Netflix app and log in to your Netflix account.

  2. Tap the movie or show you want to download.

  3. Tap the Download icon (a down-arrow pointing to a horizontal line). For movies, it appears on the film's description page; for shows, it appears next to each individual episode.

    Download icon in Netflix for Android

  4. The download for that particular film or show begins. Track the download progress in the app and from the Android notifications menu.

  5. When the download finishes, access the movie or show from the Netflix app's Downloads tab.

How to Watch Netflix Offline Using Smart Downloads

If you don't want to manually download every Netflix show you want to watch offline, have the app do it for you.

Using Smart Downloads, when you finish watching an episode from a series, the Netflix app automatically deletes the one you watched and downloads the next batch so that they're ready to go. It only works on Wi-Fi, so it won't use your data when you're not expecting it.

Smart Downloads are on by default, but if you want to make sure it's on, or you wish to turn it off, tap the Downloads tab and look at the top of the screen.

Smart Downloads ON button in Netflix for Android

It should say Smart Downloads On. To turn off Smart Downloads, tap it and select the toggle to switch it off.

Smart Downloads toggle ON

If You Can't Download Netflix Movies and Shows

If you've followed the instructions above but you're unable to download media from Netflix because you don't have the option, you have two things to consider:

  • Are you running a compatible version of Android? If you aren't running version 4.4.2 (KitKat) or later, you cannot download Netflix shows.
  • Some shows and movies are not available to download and watch offline later. It may be that your favorites aren't available at this time.
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