Before the Netflix download limit came into the picture, Netflix launched the offline streaming subscription feature back in 2016, allowing users to download material and access it offline on the go. The app has hit in on the Indian market, with several daily commuters relying heavily on it to keep themselves amused even when they have no Internet access. The functionality is also beneficial when you don’t have exposure to an unlimited data plan on your mobile device or where the WiFi charge is unjustifiably expensive.
The app has caught on in the Indian market, with some everyday commuters relying heavily on it to keep busy even when they have no internet access.
The functionality itself comes in handy when you don’t have an unlimited data plan on your mobile device, or at an unjustifiably high WiFi cost.
However, the download functionality of Netflix has some restrictions, something most of you may already be aware of in case you are a frequent user.
If you are a heavy user downloading loads of movies or TV shows, then you may have noticed or encountered some errors related to the Netflix download limit that prevents you from downloading any more content.
Nonetheless, the transfer capability of Netflix has some drawbacks, something that you may already be aware of in case you use the app a lot. If you’re a heavy user streaming a lot of movies or TV shows, you may have noticed some download-limited bugs on Netflix already. So what exactly is the Netflix download limit, and how do you get around it? Read on for details:
What is the Netflix download limit?
While the app enables users to download Netflix videos for offline viewing, there is a limit set that prohibits users from uploading too many movies or TV shows. A customer can access up to 100 titles of a single device at any given time, according to a Netflix support page on the subject, after which they will be confronted by an error stopping them from installing any more material on that computer. However, depending on your Netflix subscription plan, you will only be able to download titles at any given time on one, two, or four computers because of its new Netflix download limit plan.
The downloaded titles also have a set expiry time, but this varies from title to title depending on what licensing agreement Netflix has with that title’s creator. Users are alerted to an expiring update just seven days before the expiry date. If any updated material is deleted from the site, the application will expire instantly. But why does it need to continue with a Netflix download limit? You still pay a subscription fee, so why is it that the website prevents you from accessing the material you have already paid? Let’s take a look at Netflix’s downloading policies to discuss this.
While the platform allows its users to download Netflix movies for offline enjoyment, they also set a limit that prohibits users from downloading too many TV shows and films.
A user can only download up to 100 titles in a single device at any given time, according to a Netflix support page, after which they will be greeted by an error that prevents them from downloading any more content to that device.
Additionally, you will only be able to download titles on up to four devices at any given time, depending on the Netflix subscription plan you use.
Also, check – Top Netflix Shows To Binge over!
Why Netflix has issued download limit?
Netflix has invested heavily in original content in recent years, creating a substantial library of movies, television shows, and documentaries. However, the platform still has a lot of content that it licenses from other content creators. The access cap on Netflix is something some license holders regulate, which differs from title to title. Netflix does not reveal the Netflix download limit set on each title, and users are only notified of the download limit when there is just one final download left.
The access expiration of titles held by other owners is also something determined by the developers of the software itself, and that too differs quite a bit between user and publisher. That ensures that while some downloaded games may not end up expiring for weeks, others may expire in just 48 hours. There’s no way to find out the exact expiry date for a title, which is pretty inconvenient, especially if you can’t watch the title within the expiry limit, which will still count towards the number of your total download.
Once you have expended the number of times you may access a particular title, you may have to wait a long time before you can purchase the same title again, as long as the content creator has a clause in their deal with Netflix for that. While Netflix Originals should not be subject to the same rationale for restricting downloading, the site does not provide any explanation as to why there is an access cap on the original content.
Netflix has invested heavily in original content in recent years and created an extensive archive of movies, TV shows, and documentaries. However, the platform still has a lot of content that is licensed from other content creators.
The Netflix download limit is something these license holders are controlling, and varying from title to title.
Netflix does not view the maximum cap imposed on each title, and its subscribers will only be notified about the Netflix download limit when only the more update is available.
Also, the download expiry of titles owned by another creator is something set by the creators of content. Also, it varies quite a bit from creator to creator.
It ensures that while some downloaded games may not stop for weeks, some may expire in two days (48 hours) only.
There’s no way to find out the exact date a title would expire, which is handy, especially if you can’t watch the title within the specified expiry date, which will still count against the cumulative purchase amount.
Nevertheless, once you have expended the number of times that you can access a particular title, you may have to wait a long time before you can download the exact title again so that the content creator has a clause in their deal with Netflix for that.
And although the same justification for restricting downloading should not be valid to Netflix Originals, the site does not provide any explanation as to why the original content also has a Netflix download limit.
Since Netflix download limit is not upfront, there’s no way to know when you’ve passed a threshold, but until you get an error message when trying to download Netflix shows.
There are a few different errors that you may encounter when downloading Netflix movies to view offline, and you need to know what those errors mean before you can try to get around them.
Common errors one faces during the download?
Since the platform’s access caps are not upfront, there’s no way to know when you’ve hit a limit until you get an error message when you’re trying to download Netflix programs. There are a couple of common errors you can find while streaming Netflix movies to watch offline, and you need to learn what those mistakes mean before you can attempt to get around. Here are some of the more common errors you can find while uploading Netflix material to access it offline:
Here are some of the most common mistakes you might encounter when downloading Netflix content for offline viewing.
If you have made too many downloads
Users can store up to 100 unique titles on a single device at any given time, Netflix says. In case you surpass the download limit, which seems quite doubtful, you’ll see an error on your screen, which means you’ve got too many videos downloaded on your computer. You’ll need to uninstall older files from your computer to add any more books.
If you have downloaded on too many devices
Netflix allows you to download content to one, two, or four devices at any given time, depending on your subscription plan. If you’re trying to download any more titles, an error message will pop up alerting you to have too many devices downloading them. To start streaming movies or TV shows to a new device, you must first uninstall any existing files from another system, or update your subscription plan to support further apps.
You have reached your annual Netflix Limit on Downloads
As mentioned above, Netflix can prevent you from downloading a single title more than a few times, with the number of downloads depending on the platform’s licensing agreement with the content creator. If you download any specific file more than a few times, Netflix will caution you that you have reached the annual download limit for that particular title. There’s no way to bypass this download limit, and you’ll have to wait for the specified time before you can download the title again.
How can you fix these errors?
Now that you are acquainted with the most popular Netflix download limit errors that you might find on Netflix, let’s take a look at how the errors can get resolved:
If you’re trying to download a file, and Netflix alerts you that you’ve imported too many items before you can continue with the new update, you’ll need to uninstall older files because of the Netflix download limit. When heading to the downloads portion of the Netflix software on Android, iOS, or Windows 10, you will uninstall older files and pick the titles you want to access.
The platform also allows you to delete all previous downloads at once, freeing up a significant amount of space to allow you to download multiple titles at once. This Netflix support page lists quick and easy instructions on how to delete old downloads for iOS, Android, and Windows 10 on Netflix in case you face any trouble deleting older downloads due to the introduction of Netflix download limit.
If you encounter the’ You have downloaded on too many devices’ error, all downloads from an older device will need to be deleted to start downloading to a new device. You can use the same above method to remove all downloads from an older device, but if you do not have access to the device, you can use these steps to delete downloads from the older device:
In your browser, open your Netflix account, hover your mouse over the profile icon in the top right corner and click the ‘ Account ‘ option in the drop-down menu
Tap the ‘ Manage Download Devices ‘ link under ‘ Settings,’ and you will be guided to a page that lists all of your connected devices that have downloaded content
Delete the older computer from the collection by pressing the ‘ Disable app ‘ button below the matching device The older system and all the recorded videos on the device should now be deleted, enabling you to stream further movies on your new device.
Use the smart download option for error-free experience
If you don’t want to go through the trouble of storing the downloaded videos on your computers, use the Netflix Smart Downloads app. The app, released earlier this year for Android devices, instantly saves the next episode (only if you get connected to WiFi) in a show you’re following, while also deleting the episodes you’ve already seen.
The feature is only available on Android devices and only works with TV shows, as you would expect. By heading to the Downloads tab and taping to the Smart Downloads option at the top left corner, you can enable the Smart Downloads feature on your Android device. Note that the Smart Download feature will only work if additional episodes are available for download in your series, if there are no episodes left, the last episode you watched will not be deleted. This feature is a boon for all the Netflix users who would have had issues because of the Netflix download limit.
Use Netflix without any issue of download limit on Netflix
Armed with all of the above information, you shouldn’t face any problems with limitations on downloading Netflix videos and films. You will still need to be careful about the number of times you download a particular title, however, or you might have to wait a whole year before you can download it again. If you reach the maximum Netflix download limit for a particular video, you will still be able to stream it online, but it will not be downloadable. Are you among the millions of people offline watching Netflix? What do you think of Netflix download limit content? Share your opinions in the comments below.