Discontinuing Offline Viewing: Netflix Halts Windows Device Download Capabilities

Netflix is replacing its outdated Windows app. For some users, this is a good thing—the new Netflix app for Windows will provide a consistent video quality and work with ad-supported plans. Unfortunately, the new app won’t support Netflix’s offline downloads feature.

The original Netflix app for Windows is a mess. It takes forever to load, and while it technically supports 4K video, it often defaults to a lower resolution. Also, it was never updated to support Netflix’s ad implementation, so it requires an expensive ad-free plan.

These problems should be resolved in the new Netflix app. And, unless Netflix completely screws the pooch, this app should offer a more consistent viewing experience than your browser (Edge is the only browser that supports Dolby Atmos audio for Netflix). The only problem is that this revised app won’t support offline downloads. If you want to save Netflix content for offline viewing, you’ll be forced to do so on a mobile device.

Netflix isn’t trying to hide this discrepancy. As reported by Windows Latest, users who open the Netflix on Windows app are now met with a pop-up announcing the replacement app. The announcement explicitly states that this new app won’t support offline downloads, but it provides no explanation as to why.

It’s unclear whether Netflix is developing a proper Windows app or simply setting up a web wrapper. Given the lack of an offline downloads feature, the latter option seems more likely. Windows Latest asked Netflix for clarification and was redirected to an unhelpful support page , so I suppose we’ll have to wait and see.

Those who regularly use Netflix’s offline downloads feature on their PC should begin searching for an alternative. Whether that means buying a tablet or using your smartphone—that’s up to you. (If you specifically need something that can connect to a TV over HDMI, a Samsung tablet is probably your best bet.)

We don’t know when Netflix will launch its new Windows app. And we aren’t sure whether this app will immediately replace the old app. They could, in theory, coexist for some time.

Source: Netflix via Windows Latest