Hulu Finally Has Offline Downloads, but There’s a Catch

Hulu customers have long been waiting for the ability to watch content offline. It’s one of the best features on Netflix, where users can download almost all of the Netflix Originals and other content locally on their device for offline viewing. It’s also been available on Amazon’s Prime Video for a long time.

And now, Hulu is finally bringing offline content to its service. The timing of the launch is pretty interesting because Disney owns Hulu and Disney+ is launching soon with offline viewing as well.

There is a huge catch, though.

Offline downloads are only available to users who subscribe to Hulu’s $11.99 a month No Ads plan. The feature is launching first on Hulu’s iOS app, with Android support expected later on. There’s a dedicated tab for downloads where you can see what content can be downloaded locally, and view the content you have already downloaded for offline viewing.

There’s obviously a limit on how much you can download — Hulu says users can download up to 25 titles across 5 different devices, and you’ll have to watch your content within 30 days of downloading. The app will also automatically remove downloads you have already watched after two days.

Hulu says its No Ads plan will give users the ability to download “thousands” of shows and movies, though it won’t say if it has any plans to expand the feature to its regular customers.