Watch Netflix Offline on Mac by AirPlay/Screen Mirroring Expired!
I went on a trip a few days ago. When I was trying to AirPlay, or something called "Screen Mirroring", the downloaded Love, Death & Robots volume 4 on my iPhone from the Netflix app to my MacBook at night, I was shocked that I couldn't make it. Then I did some research on this, and apparently that the answer from Google does not match the fact.
In fact, according to the official answers from Netflix policies and Apple forums, Netflix has stopped supporting AirPlay since 2019. That's why I can’t watch downloaded Netflix offline on Mac from my iPhone using in-app AirPlay, nor device AirPlay Screen Mirroring.
Can You Watch Netflix Offline on Mac Devices?
I browse the related results and conclude a list here to tell if we can watch Netflix offline on Mac devices now. If you have the same purpose or questions as I, here you can refer to.
- • No official Netflix App for Mac exists yet
- • AirPlay/Screen Mirroring is not working anymore
- • Making a dual system on MacBook/iMac to use the old Netflix for Windows is unavailable
But that's not a dead end. I searched, collected, and tried the 3 most popular tools that can save Netflix to local devices for offline viewing on a MacBook or iMac.
How to Watch Netflix Offline on MacBook/iMac?
1. Watch Netflix Offline on Mac with StreamFab
The first recommended tool is StreamFab Netflix Downloader. Since the free trial offers complete downloads, I successfully saved 3 Netflix titles on my MacBook, and all of them play well on VLC Player.
Besides, this tool surprised me with its extra support for HDR10, Dolby Vision, and Dolby Atmos, while keeping 1080p full HD quality downloads. Which means I can even get a better experience when watching Netflix offline on MacBooks than online. And its bulk download and scheduled auto-download functions are the most convenient function combo to download movies from Netflix on Mac I've ever seen.
Fast, simple, and qualified choice to watch Netflix offline on Mac, based on tests and comparisons. Winning with high efficiency and user-friendliness.
- Allow me to watch Netflix offline on Mac up to 1080p Full HD resolution
- It can save Netflix videos as MP4 or MKV files on my MacBook without expiration
- Support for HDR10 and Dolby Vision screen effects on Netflix
- Has Dolby Atmos or EAC3 5.1 surround sound compatibility
- It can download multiple episodes from Netflix series at once
- Set up automatic downloads for new episodes based on a personalized schedule
- Remove ads from Netflix content, even with my cheapest subscription plan
- Auto-pick subtitles from Netflix shows in my preferred language
- Only 3 Netflix downloads are available for free during the trial
In case you're new here, I wrote a simple step-by-step guide to help you know how to watch Netflix offline on MacBooks with StreamFab.
Open StreamFab, select the Netflix service, and log in with your Netflix account.
Browse or search for the Netflix show or movie you want to download within the built-in browser of StreamFab. Then customize the specific settings in the pop-up window.
Click the “Download Now” button to save the selected Netflix videos offline on Mac devices you have.
2. Watch Netflix Offline on Mac with PlayOn Cloud
Consider that some places do not allow downloading DRM-protected content, like in Germany. I find this streaming service recorder called PlayOn Cloud. It makes personal copies by recording Netflix instead of removing Netflix DRM protection. I did some recordings on Netflix with it, and it only offers a common quality copy in 720p for most time. Maybe it's acceptable, but I expect to watch Netflix offline on Mac in a better quality.
Besides, when I downloaded it, I noticed that it only runs on macOS Catalina 10.15 or higher. So, remember to check if your Mac device meets the requirements.
- Available in high-copyright-awareness regions
- It can automatically skip or remove ads from Netflix
- Recorded Netflix videos are standard MP4 files playable on almost Mac device
- Charges per recording or via subscription, which can add up over time
- Recordings are made in real time, so a 2-hour show takes 2 hours to record
- Damaged resolution up to 720p or lower with bad offline viewing experiences
- Recordings are only stored in the cloud for a limited time
Its interface is clear to use, so you can get started with it very quickly under my instruction to screen record Netflix on Mac for offline viewing with PlayOn Cloud here.
3. Watch Netflix Offline on Mac with StreamFox
Looks like a clone of StreamFab, but it's not. In opposite, StreamFox is a new video download tool compatible with Netflix and other streaming services. It can also save Netflix to MP4, which is a format compatible with most Mac devices. I was attracted by its claim of downloading 4k Netflix movies. Unfortunately, it only gives me 720p quality instead.
- Ad removal is available on all Netflix subscriptions
- Features a new kind of user-friendly interface with a built-in browser
- Supports saving multiple Netflix episodes at once
- Saves Netflix videos as MP4 or MKV files on my MacBook without expiration
- Not reaching 4k Netflix downloads, but in 720p
- Repeat requiring logging into Netflix after I already did that
- Requires a software account for starting the trial
- No support for HDR10, Dolby Atmos, etc
- No convenient schedule download mode
As a new Netflix offline tool, its combo of copying & pasting links and built-in browser is new to me. I figured out how to use it to download movies on Netflix offline on macOS and provided you with a simple guide here for you to refer to.
Download and install StreamFox for Video on your MacBook or iMac.
Open StreamFox and log in with your Netflix account credentials.
Search for or paste the link to the Netflix show or movie you want to download.
Select your preferred video quality and subtitles, then click “Download” to save the file to your Mac.
FAQ
According to my views on related topics, the reasons why Netflix probably does not provide a Mac version app are probably as follows:
- Web Browser Sufficiency: Watching Netflix content online with a browser provides a full-featured streaming experience without needing a separate app.
- macOS App Store Limitations: The Mac App Store has stricter guidelines and technical requirements, which may limit Netflix’s ability to implement features like offline downloads.
Or they just don't see enough benefit in providing an official way to let users watch Netflix offline on MacBooks.
Conclusion
There must be more available tools that can help me or you, or all Netflix bingers to watch Netflix offline on Mac devices. And in these 3 recommendations, StreamFab Netflix Downloader is the most suitable one for me.
As for the rest of the 2 tools, maybe they will be more worthwhile in certain situations. For now, according to research on Netflix video tools exist, StreamFab has more unique supports and functions. So, upvote for StreamFab from me.
