Netflix introduced its ‘download feature’ for offline viewing in 2016. This feature allows users to download content and enjoy it offline while on the go.
The feature has caught on in the Indian market, with some daily commuters relying heavily on it to keep themselves busy even when they don’t have access to the internet.
The feature comes in handy when you don’t have an unlimited data plan on your mobile device or the Wi-Fi charges are unjustifiably high.
However, Netflix’s download feature has some restrictions, something most of you might already know if you are a frequent user.
If you are a heavy user who downloads a lot of movies or TV shows, you might have noticed or encountered some download limit-related errors, which prevent you from downloading any more content.
So, what precisely is the download limit on Netflix, and how can you get around this limit? To find out about this, continue reading.
What is Netflix’s Download Limit?
While the platform allows users to download Netflix movies to enjoy offline, it also limits users from downloading too many TV shows and movies.
According to a Netflix support page, a user can only download a maximum of 100 titles on a single device at any given time.
They will be greeted by an error preventing them from downloading more content on that device.
Additionally, depending on your Netflix subscription plan, you can only download titles on up to four devices at a time.
The downloaded titles also have an expiration time, but it varies from title to title based on the licensing agreement both Netflix and the creator have of that particular title.
Users are only notified about expiring downloads 7 (seven) days before the expiration date, and if downloaded content is deleted from the platform, the download expires automatically.
But why does Netflix impose a download limit in the first place?
If you are already paying for the service, why does the platform limit you from downloading the content to which you have already subscribed?
To answer that, let’s look at Netflix’s policy on downloads.
Why Does Netflix Have a Download Limit on its Content?
Netflix has invested heavily in original content and has created a large archive of movies, TV shows, and documentaries in recent years.
However, the platform still has a lot of content that other content creators license.
The Netflix download limit is something that these license holders control, and it varies from title to title.
Netflix does not show the download limit set on each title, and its users are only alerted about the limit when there is just one last download left.
The download expiration of titles owned by another creator is also something set by the content creators, and that, too, varies quite a bit from creator to creator.
While some downloaded titles may not expire for weeks, some might expire in just two days (48 hours).
There is no way to find out the exact date a title will expire, which is convenient, especially if you cannot watch the title within the set expiration date. However, this will still count toward your total number of downloads.
However, once you have expanded the number of times you can download a particular title; you might have to wait a long time before you can download the exact title again, provided the content creator has a provision for that in their agreement with Netflix.
Even though the same reason for limiting downloads should not apply to Netflix Originals, the platform does not provide any clarification on why there is a download limit on original content.
Common Netflix Download Limit Errors You Might Confront
Since the platform is not upfront about its download limits, you will not know when you have passed a threshold until you get an error message when trying to download Netflix shows.
When you download Netflix movies to view offline, you might encounter several different errors, and you need to know what these errors mean before you can try to avoid them.
Here are some of the most frequent errors you may encounter while downloading Netflix content for offline viewing:
Netflix error code:10016-22005 "You have too many downloaded videos
According to Netflix, users can save up to 100 titles on a single device.
So, in this case, if you exceed that download limit, which seems quite unlikely, you will get an error message on your app telling you that you have too many downloaded videos on your device.
You will need to delete older videos from your device to download more titles.
Error code: 10016-23000 "You have downloads on too many devices"
Based on your Netflix subscription plan, you are allowed to download content on up to four devices at a time.
But if you try to download more titles, an error will notify you that you have downloaded them on too many devices.
So, to continue downloading movies and TV shows on a new device, you must first delete all older downloads from another device or upgrade your subscription plan to exceed the device limit.
Error code: 10016-22007 "You have reached the yearly download limit for this video"
As mentioned previously, Netflix can prevent you from downloading a single title more than a couple of times, with the number of downloads based on the platform’s licensing agreement with the content creator.
If you have downloaded a particular file more than a couple of times, Netflix will alert you that you have reached the yearly download limit for that specific title.
There is no way to avoid this download limit, and you will have to wait for the stipulated time before you can download the title again.
How to Fix Netflix Download Limit Errors?
Now that you’ve acquainted yourself with the most common download limit-related errors you might encounter on Netflix, let’s take a look at how you can resolve the errors:
How to Fix Netflix’s “You Have Too Many Downloaded Videos” Error?
Suppose you are trying to download a video, and Netflix alerts you that you have already downloaded too many videos. In that case, you must delete older downloads before continuing with the current download.
You can remove older downloads by heading to the Download section within the app on Android, Windows 10, or iOS and selecting the titles you wish to download.
The platform also enables you to delete all your previous downloads at once to free up a significant amount of space, allowing you to download more titles at once.
But, if you encounter any trouble while deleting older downloads, this Netflix support page lists down quick and easy steps to delete old downloads on Netflix for Android, iOS, and Windows 10.
How to Fix Netflix’s “You Have Downloads on Too Many Devices” Error?
If you encounter the ‘You have downloaded on too many devices‘ error, you will need to remove all the downloads from an older device before starting to download on a new device.
You can follow the same steps as mentioned above to delete all downloads from an older device, but in case you have no access to the device, you can follow these steps to delete downloads from the older devices:
Open your Netflix account in your browser, move your mouse towards the profile icon in the top right corner of the page, and click on the ‘Account’ option in the drop-down menu.
Now, click on the ‘Manage download devices’ option under ‘Settings,’ you will be redirected to another page that lists all your connected devices that have downloaded content.
You can remove the older devices from the list by clicking on the ‘Remove device’ button under the corresponding device.
Your older device and all of the downloaded videos on it should be removed, allowing you to download more videos on your new device.
How to Use Netflix Smart Downloads to Manage Your Downloaded Content?
If you no longer want to stress about maintaining the downloaded videos on your devices, you can also use the Netflix Smart Downloads feature.
This feature, released for Android devices earlier this year, automatically downloads the next episode in a series (only if you are connected to Wi-Fi) while also deleting the episodes you have already seen.
This feature is only available on Android devices, and it works only with TV series, as you would expect.
You can enable the ‘Smart Downloads’ feature on your Android device by navigating to the Downloads tab and tapping on the Smart Downloads option at the top left corner.
Note: The Smart Downloads feature will only work if there are additional episodes to download in your TV show. If there are not many episodes left, the last watched episode will not be deleted.
Watch Netflix Offline without Worrying About any Download Limit.
Now that you’re aware of the information mentioned above, you should be able to face any issue that may arise with the Netflix download limit.
However, you will still need to be careful about the number of times you download a specific title, and you might have to wait up to a whole year to be able to download it again.
If you reach the maximum download limit for a particular video, you can still stream it online, but you cannot download it.
Are you a part of the millions of people who use offline Netflix? What are your thoughts about the imposed limitations on downloadable content? Let us know your views in the comments section below.
