Netflix Download Limit: Netflix is one of the most popular video streaming services on the internet, boasting millions of users and a wide catalog of movies and TV shows. Netflix has a very nifty and useful download feature, using which you can download videos and watch them later.
This is great for those who do not have access to high-speed Wifi all the time. They can download their favorite shows and then watch them whenever they like, irrespective of data concerns. But even with this great feature, there is a download limit to Netflix videos that many people may not know.
This download limit is completely independent of your device storage limits and is set by Netflix itself. For power viewers who watch several things, these might be a huge interference to their binge. This article will explore the various download limits that Netflix has and ways we can fix this.
Too Many Downloaded Videos:
Netflix has an upper limit of 100 downloads at any point in time. Therefore, whenever you have 100 videos downloaded simultaneously, the app stops you from downloading anymore. The corresponding error code for this situation is (10016-22005).
Although it is unlikely you will hit this number, if it happens to you, the best thing to do is to go and delete some of the older videos that you have already finished watching and free up some space.
To delete downloads, you can go to the Downloads section on Netflix and start deleting as many videos as you need. Otherwise, you can also delete all downloads with one click, which helps to significantly clean up the storage space you have.
Downloads on Too Many Devices:
Netflix has varying subscription packages through which you can watch and download videos on multiple devices simultaneously. However, just like the way Netflix stops you from streaming videos if too many devices are logged on simultaneously.
It also prohibits downloads on multiple devices above your subscription limit. The best way to go about it is to delete all the old videos from one of the devices so that you can continue downloading.
For this, you can either access downloads on one of the devices and delete videos from there. Another more efficient way to do so is to open the Netflix account on a browser, go to the Account option, and manage Download Devices.
From this menu, you can access all your devices in one place. To clear a device, click on Remove Device. Doing this clears the entire device’s Netflix downloads and logs you out from that device.
You have Reached the Yearly Netflix Download Limit for this Video:
There is a maximum limit to the number of times you can download the same video. Because of copyright laws, the content creators and distributors on Netflix set this limit to protect intellectual property. Due to the download limit of a title being decided by its producer, you may find that the different shows have different limits.
And these limits are not disclosed to the public either. You only get to know about it after you’ve hit the limit and try downloading again. Unfortunately, there is no limit to get around this limit. So you’ll have to wait for the yearly period to get over before you can download again.
Do Videos Disappear From Downloads?
There is another kind of limit to the content you download on Netflix. This isn’t about the quantity of the videos but rather for how long you have kept them downloaded. This means that Netflix downloads automatically become invalid after a specific time.
For example if any creator set the download time of the Title and not Netflix. Then also the download limit period can easily go on for a few weeks but can also be as short as 48 hours.
It is inconvenient as we don’t know the time limits of our videos, and they still get counted towards our maximum downloads of that Title. So for anyone who could not finish watching the video within its download time limit will have to download it again to watch it. The best advice to deal with this is to watch the downloaded videos as quickly as possible.
Netflix Smart Downloads
A great feature to circumvent your download limit woes is to enable the Smart Downloads option in Netflix. What this option does, is that it immediately deletes the videos that you’ve already watched after downloading. Smart download also allows Netflix to track your viewing times and automatically download the right amount of videos of TV shows ahead of you.
What this smart download does is that it stops you from hitting the download limit by continually deleting watched videos. Secondly, because it automatically downloads new ones on time, this ensures that you don’t over download and then have some of your videos become inaccessible due to the download time limit.
However, careful viewers who are good at planning and scheduling may find Smart downloads too interfering and can turn it off. But, overall, it is a great way to avoid any download limit problems.
Ultimately, Netflix has its hands tied to yearly title download and title download time limits as external content creators set them. Another alternative is to buy a tablet exclusively for viewing Netflix, which may not sound feasible in all cases.
However, as it continues to struggle and maintain its strength as one of the greatest streaming services out there. They need to address these download limit issues as they can be a huge hassle to offline viewers.
Therefore, a customer-focused service ideology is mandatory. Introducing Smart Downloads was a step in the right direction. Still Netflix has a lot of work to do to protect the interests of its viewers. Which remain a huge chunk of their consumer base.