How to Download Moives from Streaming Services to Watch Offline

Okay, so you found a movie you love on a streaming service, and you’re looking for a way to download it for offline viewing? Most of these premium services support “Offline videos,” which means you can download certain titles and have them available for offline streaming.

However, this method has a lot of limits to how you can access and watch offline videos. For example, offline videos only last for a maximum of 30 days, and then they'd be deleted from your library. Even so, some streaming services shortened the duration to 14 days.

To avoid all those limitations, the best way to download your favorite movies and TV shows from a streaming service is to use a 3^rd-party software tool. Well, most of the 3^rd-party tools to use are premium utilities; thus, you would need to pay a subscription to explore their full features.

Notwithstanding, there are a number of free online movie downloaders you can use. These free tools can grab movies and TV shows from various websites, but they typically do not support higher resolutions such as 4K.

1. Can You Download Movies and Shows From Streaming Services?

Basically, streaming services provide on-demand titles and classic shows that you're to watch over the internet. In other words, you must be connected to the internet to access content offered on a streaming service. However, in a bid to make things easier for people that always get on the go, the "Offline Video" feature was introduced.

As the name implies, the offline video option is a feature that allows online streamers to save certain movies and TV shows for offline viewing. This implies that the user would be able to watch the saved video/movie even without connecting to the internet.

The offline download feature was designed for the on-the-go streamer, but it is now a feature everyone loves. Notwithstanding, not all videos on a streaming service can be downloaded for offline streaming, and the download feature is typically only available on the mobile app versions. This means you have to install the streaming service app on your smartphone (iPhone or Android device) before you can save movies for offline viewing.

2. How to Save Streaming Videos for Offline Viewing

The steps are very much similar regardless of the streaming service you use. That said, whether you’re a Netflix subscriber, Prime Video subscriber, or Hulu subscriber, the guide below is how you can save a movie or TV show for offline viewing.

• Step 1: Download the mobile app of the streaming service and sign in to your account. Also, you must have an active subscription to use the service. Mostly, the offline video option is only available on mobile app versions of streaming services.
• Step 2: Search for the movies you want to download for offline streaming; depending on the streaming service, the download button would either appear beside the movie title name (in the search results) or below the playback tool (when you open the movie to watch). So, wherever you see the download button, tap on it to save the respective movie for offline streaming.
• Step 3: Wait for the movie or TV show to download completely, then it'd be saved in the Offline Video folder. The name for this folder may differ from one streaming service to another. Usually, the videos would be saved in your library, where you can go and watch them. Actually, you can save multiple videos for offline streaming, but there's a limit to the number of videos you can save.

3. Limitations of Using “Offline Download” Option on Streaming Services Apps

There are quite several limitations to how you can playback downloaded movies when you use the "download" option on streaming apps. Hereunder are the commonest limitations that apply generally.

• You have to play the downloaded video(s) within a specified time, else, it’d expire and be removed from your library. If you haven’t watched it before the expiration, you need to download it again.
• The moment you start watching a video saved for “Offline Viewing,” you typically have 48 hours to finish watching it. At the end of 48 hours (from when you pressed the play button to watch the offline video), the download will expire. If you haven’t finished the movie before this expiration, you need to download it again.
• Some streaming services limit you to saving just 20 videos at a time. This implies to say that you cannot have more than 20 videos in your offline video library. However, some services allow you to save as many videos as possible. But, for those that enforce a limit, once you reach the limit, you won’t be able to save newer videos for offline streaming - you have to wait until the already saved ones expire, or when you manually delete some.
• Apparently, not all movies and shows are available for “Download.” In other words, you cannot save certain videos for offline streaming.

4. Best Way to Download Movies from Streaming Services to Watch Offline

Talking of the best way to download movies from streaming services, it implies using a 3^rd-party software tool or app that supports downloading content from streaming networks. These tools and apps are commonly called “Streaming Video Downloaders,” and there are many of them.

StreamFab Downloader is one of the best streaming downloader software app for PC users and MacBook users.

• This downloader is super intuitive and easy to use.
• It comes with a ton of useful features and it can download multiple streaming videos at a go.
• Furthermore, the software supports over 1000 streaming services, both free and paid networks.

4.1 Main Features of StreamFab Downloader

Interestingly, StreamFab Downloader is an all-inclusive online and streaming video download solution that allows you to grab movies and TV shows in clear HD quality, along with cinematic audio tracks. It supports both free and paid services, which includes YouTube, Amazon Prime, Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, HBO, and 1000+ other networks.

Well, you may like to know that StreamFab Downloader also supports downloading adult content from s number of adult video-sharing sites and streaming services. It is truly an all-inclusive solution for downloading movies online.

• This software goes on to feature a built-in browser with modern browser features to allow you to search for video-sharing websites and download content from there.
• StreamFab Downloader is flexible and highly customizable, you’re the one to choose the video and audio quality you want to download.
• Furthermore, it removes ads from streamers on a streaming service’s Basic Plan (where commercials are shown while streaming online).

Below is a detailed guide on how to use this software program.

4.2 How to Download Movies to Watch Offline Using StreamFab Downloader

First things first, you have to install the software on your computer system, then you can follow the steps below.

Step 1: Launch the program and open the streaming service you want to download videos from. Go to the “Streaming Services” page from the left pane to access premium networks like Hulu, HBO Max, Disney+, and the likes.

Step 2: Log in to your account (if required), then search for the movie or TV show you want to download from the platform. When you find the content, play it and you’d see a download button/prompt to download the movie.

Set the download options and start downloading the movie. If you need to download more videos, find the videos, play them, and add them to the download queue.

Step 3: You can access all ongoing downloads from the "Task Queue" and you can cancel any download at any time.

Note: If you copied a video link from a non-premium video-sharing websites, such as YouTube, Facebook, etc., click on "Paste URL" to paste the link.

Final Words

With the StreamFab Downloader software, you can download any movie or TV show you find on streaming services, and it does not place any limitations on the downloaded videos. More so, the videos are saved in MP4 format, so you can play them on any device or TV.