Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- We’ve got a report of a brand new alert within the Netflix app for Home windows that claims the app will not have the ability to obtain content material for offline watching.
- The alleged alert factors you to utilizing a cell machine for offline downloads as a substitute.
- Nevertheless, one other report suggests this isn’t occurring. It’s potential Netflix is merely testing the concept.
Watching Netflix on the go is a snap with the official Netflix app for Home windows. Even when you don’t have entry to an information connection, you’ll be able to all the time obtain content material forward of time and watch that as a lot as you want.
Nevertheless, reviews on-line say that Netflix is updating its Home windows app — and presumably taking away the power to obtain content material for offline watching. If true, it will be a big downgrade for subscribers who watch content material on their laptops (which, let’s be sincere, is a complete lot of individuals).
In keeping with Artem Russakovskii on X (previously Twitter), there’s a brand new alert within the Netflix Home windows app that claims the next:
Coming quickly: A brand new Home windows app expertise. The replace consists of entry to reside occasions, compatibility with ad-supported plans, and extra! Downloads will not be supported, however you’ll be able to proceed to look at TV exhibits and films offline on a supported cell machine.
You’ll be able to see how the alert allegedly seems in Artem’s screenshot under:
Now, that is clearly dangerous information if true. Nevertheless, we have now one other report — additionally on X — that implies this won’t be occurring.
X consumer Trevor62271128 posted a similar-looking alert from the Netflix app that skips the language about downloads not being supported:
It’s tough to say what’s occurring right here. It’s potential Artem’s alert was an error and Netflix won’t be eradicating obtain help from its Home windows app. Nevertheless, it’s additionally potential the reverse is true and that Trevor62271128’s screenshot is the inaccurate one.
There’s additionally the chance that Netflix is just alerting individuals who truly use the downloads function. Trevor62271128 mentions that they don’t use downloads, so Netflix may skip that a part of the alert for customers in that scenario.
Lastly, it’s additionally potential Netflix is simply doing A/B testing to gauge on-line response to a possible change. That is one thing we’ve seen earlier than many occasions, so it’s not out of the realm of risk.
Within the meantime, in case you are a Netflix subscriber who depends on downloads by way of the Home windows app, now may be a very good time to message Netflix and let it know you wish to preserve that function round.