Whether you’re going on a trip or suffering from patchy internet, downloading videos to watch offline makes for a smoother experience. All the best streaming services offer some way to download content for offline viewing. Here, we walk you through the process—with some additional recommendations on expanding your device’s storage.
Before we start, you’ll need an internet connection to be able to download videos for offline playback. Ideally, you’re connected via Wi-Fi. (Make sure you also have enough free space on your device; you can usually check that in storage settings.) Some apps will let you download via cellular data too, which might be fine if you have an unlimited plan, but it will count toward your monthly data allowance, and your speeds could be throttled if you go over the limit.
Updated January 2023: We added instructions for Paramount+ and checked existing instructions for accuracy.
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How to Download YouTube Videos
YouTube Premium subscribers can download videos on a computer, phone, or tablet, provided they sign in to their account. Here’s how:
- Open the YouTube app or visit youtube.com and find a video you want.
- Tap or click Download (the icon is a downward arrow) under the video.
- The icon turns into a blue tick when the video is downloaded.
- You can access downloaded videos by opening the Menu (the icon is three horizontal lines) in your browser or via the Library tab in the app and then choosing Downloads.
- Downloaded videos can be played offline for up to 29 days (in some countries, they are only available for 48 hours).
- To set download video quality, go to Settings (via your profile pic), Downloads, and choose Download Quality.
How to Download Netflix Videos
Netflix subscribers can download movies and TV shows using the Netflix app on an Android phone or tablet, iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Amazon Fire tablet, Windows 10 or 11 tablet or computer, and on select Chromebook and Chromebox models. Here’s how: