Netflix Makes It Easier to Watch Shows on the Go

Netflix is making it easier to watch your favourite shows while on the go. The streaming platform today launched Smart Downloads on Android, a new feature that will always have an episode from your favourite shows ready to watch while you are on the move.

Smart Downloads works by automatically downloading the next episode from the show you are currently watching so that you can watch it on the way home from work when you don’t have any network. The feature will download the next episode when it’s connected to WiFi and automatically remove the previously downloaded episodes. This way, it won’t be using up your phone’s storage and you will be able to continue watching your show when you don’t have internet. Smart Downloads will notify you when the feature starts downloading an episode, and you can even turn it off if you aren’t a fan.

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Netflix isn’t yet ready to automatically predict and download shows or movies that you might want to watch, reports Quartz. That’s a big surprise — especially considering the amount of data Netflix has on your viewing history. But Netflix’s director of product innovation, Cameron Johnson, says the company isn’t intelligent enough to start predicting content you might want to watch.

Either way, Netflix’s Smart Downloads feature is rolling out on Android today, with iOS devices set to receive the feature later this year. No word on Windows 10 availability as of yet.

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Conversation 5 comments

  • curtisspendlove

    10 July, 2018 - 12:28 pm

    <p>Awesome. Perfect for my iPad. Would be great for the Surface Go as well. </p>

    • VancouverNinja

      Premium Member
      10 July, 2018 - 8:36 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#290299"><em>In reply to curtisspendlove:</em></a></blockquote><p>It sounds like it is well designed. Nice to see these kinds of thoughtful features.</p>

  • Chris_Kez

    Premium Member
    10 July, 2018 - 11:02 pm

    <p>This is a nice addition, and I hope it comes to Windows soon. Meanwhile, HBO and Showtime still make you add individual episodes rather than entire seasons to a watch list. </p>

  • Mike Widrick

    11 July, 2018 - 7:20 am

    <p>This is an actual good predictive feature, unlike the times they would move my actual bookmarked content around randomly to push their garbage on me.</p><p><br></p><p>But they really need to fix the 'expired' episode thing. I might download, not watch it for a couple weeks, I shouldn't be barred from downloading it ever again, when I haven't even seen it.</p>

  • IanYates82

    Premium Member
    11 July, 2018 - 5:59 pm

    <p>Reminds me of Google Play Music – I was pleasantly surprised to find it had quite a few tracks cached for offline play when on a plane a few months back and accidentally started it up instead of Netflix (next to each other on the phone screen)</p>

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