Table of contents
Introduction: Why There Are So Many Limits on Netflix Downloads
Last month, I was preparing for a business trip to Germany and planned to binge-watch Squid Game Season 3 on the plane, where there’s no Wi-Fi. I thought I’d download all the episodes in advance, but to my surprise—while Seasons 1 and 2 were available for download, Season 3 didn’t have a download button at all.
At first, I thought it was a bug. I restarted my phone and even switched accounts, but nothing worked. Later, I found out that Netflix often disables downloads for newly released popular shows, especially during their initial launch period. A few days later, the download option quietly reappeared.
As a people who often download 4k Netflix movies, that experience made me dig deeper into Netflix’s download rules for the first time—and I realized there are far more hidden limits than I ever expected.
What Are Netflix's Download Limits?
The Netflix download limit includes many restrictions:
Download quantity limit
At first glance, it looks like you can just download up to 100 videos—but there’s much more to it beneath the surface. Depending on the membership plan you subscribe to and the licensing terms of the content itself, the limits can vary greatly:
| Type of Download Restriction | Details |
|---|---|
| Device-Level Download Limit | Up to 100 active downloads per device (applies to ad-free plans) |
| Ad-Supported Plan Limit | Up to 15 downloads per device per calendar month (non-cumulative) |
| Title-Based Restriction | Some shows or movies can only be downloaded a limited number of times per year (typically 1–3 times) |
| Plan-Based Restriction | The number of devices that can download varies by plan: Basic (1), Standard (2), Premium (4) |
Content Expiration Rules
Here’s the part that catches most people off guard—your Netflix downloads are basically on a countdown from the moment they land on your device.
Even if you haven’t watched a single second, most titles expire 30 days after you download them. That’s right—Netflix will quietly wipe them away like they were never there.
And if you do hit play? That starts a second timer: you usually get 48 hours to finish watching before the file locks up.
So if you start an episode before bed and forget to finish it, it might already be gone by the time your next flight takes off. At this point, you need to remove Netflix DRM protection.
💬 My take:
Equipment Type Restrictions
If you thought you could download Netflix anywhere, on any device—sorry to disappoint. Not all devices can download Netflix videos.
Windows PC: You can only download videos with the Netflix app from the Microsoft Store. You cannot use browsers like Chrome, Firefox, or Edge.
macOS: You cannot download videos at all.
Android and iOS: You can download videos with the Netflix app on your phone or tablet.
💬 My take:
In a world where more people are working and watching on laptops, it’s wild that you can't download Netflix movies on Mac, and only with a specific app on Windows. It’s like they want you to watch offline... but only on their terms.
This is probably intentional, to keep content secure and reduce piracy risks, but as a paying user, it can feel unnecessarily limiting.
A comprehensive guide to teach you how to download movies on Netflix on laptop.
How to Manage and Avoid Netflix Download Limits
Clear out the old stuff
Already finished that season of Squid Game one week ago? Delete it. Clearing out watched videos frees up space and keeps you under the 100/15-download limit.
Clean up your device list
Log in to your Netflix account and head to “Manage Download Devices.” Remove any old phones, lost tablets, or your ex’s iPad (we’ve all been there).
Netflix only allows a certain number of download-enabled devices based on your plan—don’t waste slots on devices you no longer use.
Only download what you'll actually watch soon
Remember, many titles expire in 30 days (some even sooner), so hoarding content like a digital squirrel might backfire.
Stick to a few trusted devices
Constantly switching between your phone, tablet, and three different laptops? Netflix might see that as suspicious and block you from downloading.
Try to keep downloads to your main device(s)—it’ll save you a lot of headache.
Advanced Solution: Download Netflix Videos Without Limits
If you want to avoid the Netflix download limit, use special tools. These tools save Netflix videos as regular files on your computer.
I recommend StreamFab Netflix Downloader for you. It is easy to use. It lets you download Netflix movies and shows in good quality. The movies and shows are converted to MP4 or MKV. You can watch netflix offline without internet or limits.
Download movies and TV shows in 1080P from all Netflix regional sites with HDR10 or Dolby Vision and Atmos/EAC3 5.1 audio.
- Save Netflix videos without ads from any region and keep them forever
- Download unlimited Netflix titles in 1080p HDR quality with your choice of EAC3 5.1 or AAC 2.0 audio
- Support for multiple video codecs including H.264, H.265, VP9, and AV1
- Download videos with customized subtitles and detailed metadata
- Option to save subtitles as separate SRT files or embed them directly into the video
- Automatically download newly released titles according to your schedule
You can also choose to screen record Netflix.
FAQs
This happens because people who own the rights to these videos don't allow downloads. If you look for the download icon and do not see it, that means you cannot save that video to watch offline. Netflix must follow these rules to keep the rights to show the content. Because of this, some titles are only available to stream and not to download.
This message means you have hit the download limit for your device or Netflix plan. To fix it, you can wait for the limit to reset or switch to an ad-free plan that allows more downloads. Another remedy is to use a tool like StreamFab Netflix Downloader. StreamFab lets you convert Netflix to MP4 files without limits, so you can watch them offline anytime.
Conclusion
Netflix’s download limits can be really annoying, but once you know the rules, you can handle them smarter. Clean up old downloads, manage your devices, or use tools like StreamFab—it’ll make downloading and watching way easier. Don’t let those limits stop you. Watch what you want, whenever and wherever you want!
