Netflix launches ‘Downloads For You’ feature on Android, iOS version coming soon

Netflix has launched a brand new feature named ‘Downloads For You’ which will automatically download recommended video content to your mobile device based on your watch history. The feature is currently available for all Android users and the company said it’s working on an iOS version which will be launched later this year. 

The first time you’re using the feature, you will be asked how much storage you want to provide for Netflix to automatically download recommended content for you. The options are 1GB, 3GB and 5GB. 

The downloads of movies and TV shows that Netflix recommends you will start when you’re connected to Wi-Fi. You can also share the saved content with a nearby TV.

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After watching the saved content, you will be able to remove them so that you can provide more space for the next that will be downloaded when you’re connected to the Wi-Fi again. 

“We’re excited to introduce Downloads for You. People who choose this new feature will have shows or movies automatically downloaded to their devices, with recommendations based on their tastes,” said Patrick Flemming, Netflix’s Director of Product Innovation, as reported by TechCrunch. “We want to make discovering your next new favorite series or film even easier, whether you’re connected or not.”

The company said that while all the content available on the platform including its originals is available for download, there might be download limitations for some movies and TV shows because of licensing restrictions.

Netflix started the tests of the new ‘Downloads For You’ feature in late 2020 and said it observed a notable increase in the use of the feature in the United States.

However, the company thinks the use of the feature in countries like India and Brazil where Android devices are more used and internet connections are not reliable is particularly important. 

Meanwhile, ‘Downloads For You’ is an additional feature to Netflix’s ‘Smart Downloads’ service which was launched in 2018.

While Smart Downloads allows users to select content that they want to download to watch when they’re offline, Downloads For You will automatically download content that Netflix believes users will be interested in.