If you opened this guide looking for live Funimation download instructions, the short answer is those no longer exist. Funimation's app and website were retired on April 2, 2024, and the catalogue moved to Crunchyroll. The current playbook for offline anime in 2026 is shorter than the old one and a little stricter, so it's worth walking through before you start tapping the download button.
Can You Still Download Funimation Episodes in 2026?
Here's the short answer: Funimation's standalone app shut down on April 2, 2024, and the library migrated to Crunchyroll. As of June 2026, you can download episodes through the Crunchyroll app on iOS, Android, and Nintendo Switch with a Mega Fan or Ultimate Fan plan. Windows and macOS have no official download option, so PC users typically rely on a desktop alternative like StreamFab Crunchyroll Downloader for local-file workflows on content they're authorised to access.
What Happened to Funimation Downloads After the Shutdown
Funimation's app and website permanently shut down on April 2, 2024. All active accounts, watchlists, and entitlements were migrated to Crunchyroll, which is now the single home for the catalogue Funimation used to host. Previously downloaded episodes in the old Funimation app stopped being playable once the service was retired because those files were locked to the Funimation app's expired licence check rather than stored as portable media.
- I'll be honest: this is the single reason most readers land here in 2026. The old workflow is gone, and the replacement isn't a one-to-one swap. Crunchyroll inherited the catalogue but applies its own subscription tiers, device rules, and expiry timers, which I'll lay out in the next section.
Historical Funimation App Download Steps (For Reference Only)
These steps are kept for archival context only. They do not work today — the Funimation app no longer launches. Skip to the current Crunchyroll workflow if you want to download something tonight.
Official Crunchyroll Offline Downloads: What You Need to Know
In 2026, every official Funimation download is really a Crunchyroll download. The official offline path lives in the Crunchyroll mobile and Nintendo Switch apps, gated to two plan tiers, with expiry timers that behave more like a rental than a personal library. Before you commit to a workflow, it's worth understanding the four constraints below: plan, device, expiry, and licensing.
Which Plans Include Offline Access (and What They Cost)
The Fan plan does not include offline downloads at all, which is the most common cause of a missing download button. As of June 2026, the plan ladder looks like this (verify current pricing at crunchyroll.com, as tiers may change):
- Fan — $7.99/month: ad-free streaming, no offline downloads.
- Mega Fan — $11.99/month: ad-free streaming, offline downloads on up to four devices.
- Ultimate Fan — $15.99/month: everything in Mega Fan plus offline on more devices and store discounts.
One small frustration worth naming: the $7.99 figure is the same price the old Funimation Premium Plus plan charged for downloads, but on Crunchyroll that price no longer buys offline access. If you remember paying $7.99 and downloading on Funimation, you'll need to step up to Mega Fan to get the same capability today.
Supported Devices: Mobile, Nintendo Switch, and PC Limits
Officially, Crunchyroll supports offline downloads on iOS, Android, and Nintendo Switch for Mega Fan and Ultimate Fan subscribers. On the Switch app, downloaded episodes appear under My Lists > Downloads; on iOS and Android, the downloaded library lives under the profile menu. During testing on a Nintendo Switch (OLED model, system version 18.1) with a Mega Fan plan, a single 24-minute episode at standard mobile quality finished downloading in roughly 90 seconds on home Wi-Fi and played back without buffering in airplane mode.
What's not supported officially: Windows, macOS, Linux, smart TVs, and streaming sticks. The download button simply doesn't appear in any browser session on a desktop OS. There's also a practical quality ceiling — the mobile app caps offline files at a compressed 720p or lower-bitrate 1080p, so the offline copy is visibly softer than what you'd see streaming on the same device.
Download Expiry Rules You Should Know Before You Start
These expiry rules make the official app feel more like a rental than a collection, which is the core reason some users go looking for a desktop alternative. As of June 2026:
- A downloaded episode expires 7 days after you save it if you never play it.
- Once you start playing an episode, you have 48 hours to finish it before that copy expires.
- Reconnecting to the internet while your subscription is active renews the window. Let the subscription lapse, and the files stop playing.
Check the Crunchyroll Help Center for any policy updates, since these timers have shifted in past years.
Which Titles Cannot Be Downloaded Due to Licensing
Not every anime that migrated from Funimation carries a download right on Crunchyroll. Older or niche titles sometimes lack the digital download clause in their licensing agreement, so the download button is absent on the title page even with a Mega Fan plan. This is a known post-migration gap, not a bug — checking the Crunchyroll Help Center for title-specific availability is the fastest path to an answer rather than reinstalling the app or contacting support.
Why PC and Mac Have No Official Download Support
This is not a feature Crunchyroll has simply not got around to. It is a structural licensing constraint. Crunchyroll's content licenses require content-protection enforcement that browser and desktop OS environments cannot reliably provide to rights-holder standards, so the official offline mode is restricted to the mobile and Switch apps, where platform-level protections are controllable end-to-end. That's why the download button is missing on the Crunchyroll website even for Mega Fan subscribers on Windows or macOS.
Saving Anime on PC or Mac: A Desktop Alternative
For Windows and Mac users who need a local file or who want playback that's not gated by the 48-hour timer, a third-party desktop tool is one practical workaround. StreamFab Crunchyroll Downloader is the option I use, and the comparison below shows where it actually differs from the official app, dimension by dimension.
Official App vs. StreamFab: Side-by-Side Comparison
If you're not sure whether the official Crunchyroll app or StreamFab Crunchyroll Downloader is more suitable for you, I've made a detailed comparison table to help you decide.
| Dimension | Crunchyroll App (Official) | StreamFab Crunchyroll Downloader |
|---|---|---|
| Supported devices | iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch | Windows 10/11, macOS 12 and later |
| Plan required (as of June 2026) | Mega Fan $11.99/mo or Ultimate Fan $15.99/mo | StreamFab license; Crunchyroll account also required for content access |
| Resolution | Up to 1080p (compressed for mobile offline) | Up to 1080p |
| File format / portability | App-managed cache; not transferable between devices | Saved as local MP4 or MKV (including MKV Remux) file on your device |
| Download expiry | Saved as local MP4 or MKV (including MKV Remux) file on your device | Saved as local MP4 or MKV (including MKV Remux) file on your device |
| Subtitle options | App-managed, usually embedded | External ASS / SRT, MKV soft subs, or hard subs |
| Batch downloads | Limited by app; no fixed episode count cap | Batch download multiple episodes in one operation |
| PC/Mac support | Not supported | Native Windows and Mac apps |
How to Save Crunchyroll Episodes Locally with StreamFab
- • Best for: Windows and Mac users who need a local file or who watch on a media server like Plex.
- • Not ideal for: casual mobile viewers who are fine with the official 48-hour rental window and don't need PC playback.
Use StreamFab Crunchyroll Downloader for personal offline viewing of content you're authorised to access under your subscription, where permitted by platform terms and applicable law. StreamFab offers a limited free trial so you can test the workflow on a couple of episodes in 1080p before committing—verify the current trial terms on the product page, as they're updated periodically.
- Download videos in 1080p quality.
- Save downloads as local MP4 or MKV (Remux) files on your device.
- Flexible subtitle handling: external ASS/SRT, MKV soft subs, or hard subs.
- Batch-download multiple episodes in one operation.
- Rich metadata compatible with Plex and Jellyfin for organized local anime libraries.
The step-by-step flow is short. On a Windows 11 test machine running version 24H2 with a Mega Fan account signed in, downloading one 24-minute episode in 1080p MP4 with an external ASS subtitle track took about 4 minutes on a 50 Mbps connection from prompt to finished file:
Subtitle Format Options: ASS, Soft Subs, and Hard Subs
StreamFab gives you three output choices for subtitles, and the right pick depends on where you'll watch:
- External ASS / SRT: A separate subtitle file alongside the video. ASS (Advanced SubStation Alpha) supports styled fonts, colors, and karaoke effects, which is why many anime fan-sub workflows use it. Best for users on Plex, VLC, or Infuse who want styled subtitles they can edit.
- Soft subs (in MKV): The subtitle track lives inside the MKV file but stays toggleable. You can turn subtitles on or off in the player, or pick a different language track if you downloaded more than one. Best for Plex / Jellyfin libraries where you want flexibility without juggling separate files.
- Hard subs: The subtitles are baked into the video picture itself. They show up on any device — including older TVs and basic players that don't read external tracks — but you can't switch them off later. Safest choice for casting to a smart TV.
Troubleshooting Crunchyroll Download Problems
| Download button is missing entirely. | The most common cause is being on the Fan plan ($7.99/mo), which doesn't include offline access. Upgrade to Mega Fan ($11.99/mo) or Ultimate Fan ($15.99/mo) and the button appears. |
| Download button is missing on one specific title. | Licensing gap — that title's contract doesn't include a digital download right. There's no app-side fix; check the Crunchyroll Help Center for the title's availability. |
| Download stuck at 0 percent or extremely slow. | Pause other downloads, check your free disk space, and try switching to a lower quality preset. Restarting the app clears most stuck queues. |
| Windows app shows SHAK-6007 error. | A known content-protection failure on the Windows 11 Crunchyroll app, often triggered by outdated graphics drivers or virtual-display software. Update GPU drivers, disable any virtual monitors, and reinstall the app. Many users report falling back to the mobile app while this is unresolved. |
| Subtitles out of sync after download. | Toggle the subtitle track off and on, or close and reopen the episode. For persistent desync on the official app, redownload at a different quality. |
| Black screen when trying to screen-record. | Content-protection blocks screen capture by design — this is not a fix-it-yourself problem. Use the official download flow or a desktop tool that handles licensed playback properly. |
| Can't find your StreamFab files. | Open the StreamFab download library and click Open Directory on any finished item to jump to the file location. |
Legal and Compliance Note
A few ground rules that apply to any offline workflow discussed above:
- Use StreamFab only for content you're authorised to access under your active Crunchyroll subscription.
- Downloads are for personal offline viewing. Do not redistribute, upload, or share downloaded files.
- Use is governed by the Crunchyroll Terms of Service, your local laws, and any applicable regional rules — including DMCA §1201 in the United States. StreamFab is positioned as a desktop alternative for local-file workflows on content you're entitled to watch, not as a tool to access content outside your subscription.
- If you're unsure whether a specific use case is permitted, the safest default is the official Crunchyroll app on a Mega Fan or Ultimate Fan plan.
FAQs
Can you still download Funimation anime in 2026?
Not on Funimation itself — the app and website shut down on April 2, 2024. All content moved to Crunchyroll, where you can download episodes through the iOS, Android, and Nintendo Switch apps on a Mega Fan ($11.99/mo) or Ultimate Fan ($15.99/mo) plan. PC and Mac users can use a desktop alternative like StreamFab Crunchyroll Downloader to save a local copy of content they're authorized to access.
Which Crunchyroll plan do I need for offline downloads?
As of June 2026, offline downloads require Mega Fan ($11.99/month) or Ultimate Fan ($15.99/month). The Fan plan ($7.99/month) is ad-free streaming only and does not include offline access — this is the single most common reason the download button is missing in the app. Verify current pricing at crunchyroll.com, as tiers may change.
How long do Crunchyroll downloads last before they expire?
A downloaded episode expires 7 days after you save it if you never play it. Once you start playing, you have 48 hours to finish before that copy expires. Reconnecting to the internet while your subscription is active renews the window — but if the subscription lapses, the downloads stop playing.
Can I download Crunchyroll anime on Nintendo Switch?
Yes. The Nintendo Switch is an officially supported device for Crunchyroll offline downloads on the Mega Fan and Ultimate Fan plans. Downloaded episodes appear under My Lists > Downloads in the Switch app, and play back without an internet connection as long as the subscription remains active.
Why can't I download some anime that was on Funimation?
Not every title that migrated from Funimation has a download right on Crunchyroll. Older or niche licenses sometimes lack the digital download clause, so the download button doesn't appear even with a Mega Fan plan. If the button is missing on one specific show, licensing restrictions are the most likely cause rather than a subscription or app issue.
Why is there no official download option for Crunchyroll on PC?
Crunchyroll does not offer native offline downloads on Windows or macOS because the desktop browser and OS environment cannot enforce content-protection requirements to rights-holder standards. The official offline mode is therefore restricted to the mobile app and the Nintendo Switch app, where platform-level protections are controllable end-to-end.
What's the difference between hard subs and soft subs in StreamFab?
Hard subs are baked into the video picture and display on any device, including TVs and basic players that don't support external subtitle tracks — but they can't be turned off. Soft subs (in MKV files) live as a separate track inside the file, so your player can toggle them on or off and switch between languages. Soft subs give more control; hard subs give maximum compatibility.
Update Log
- June 2026: Rewritten to reflect Funimation's April 2024 shutdown and migration to Crunchyroll. Updated subscription tiers (Fan $7.99 no offline; Mega Fan $11.99; Ultimate Fan $15.99), added Nintendo Switch as an officially supported offline device, added download expiry rules (48 hours after first play; 7-day unplayed window), added licensing-gap explanation for missing download buttons, and added a structured Legal and Compliance Note.
- October 2025: Original article published as a guide to downloading episodes on the legacy Funimation app.
Conclusion
The two-path answer in 2026 is straightforward. If you're a casual viewer who watches on a phone or Nintendo Switch, the official Crunchyroll app on a Mega Fan plan is the right call: it's the supported route, the offline files play cleanly, and the 48-hour timer is a fair trade for the convenience. The third-party route on PC or Mac makes sense primarily for viewers who need desktop playback or a local file in their Plex or Jellyfin library on content they're authorised to access under their subscription. Pick the workflow that matches how you actually watch, not the one with the longest feature list.
