Netflix fans are in for a treat. The entertainment company just announced that it is now allowing subscribers to download videos into their mobile devices.
The news was announced via Twitter.
"Airplane mode. Road trip mode. Stuck-in-the-subway-for-20-minutes mode. Your favorite stories are now available for download any time," tweeted Netflix US last Nov. 30.
Before this feature, Netflix users can only stream movies, TV shows and other videos through cellular data. This prevented subscribers to watch the videos when they are not at home or in any place with weak or no internet connection at all.
With the new feature, Netflix subscribers can now watch using their smartphones or tablets. They can download the videos while there is WiFi and watch them later even when there is no internet connection.
This basically means no more boring subway rides, train rides or plane rides. The subscriber can still catch up on his or her favorite Netflix shows including current hits Stranger Things and Orange Is the New Black or the new shows that company recently launched, while in long queue or while waiting for their turn at the doctor's office. Parents can download some children shows for their kids to watch while doing the grocery or attending a meeting.
New York Times reported that only a few titles will initially be made available for downloading and offline viewing but Netflix did say that there are "more on the way". Also, the feature will be available on the latest versions of its Android and iOS apps.
Offline streaming is nothing new. Netflix rival, Amazon's Prime Video, has been providing this feature to its subscribers for almost a year now.
Reuters mentioned that Netflix is banking on its Asian and African subscribers along with other international markets to patronize its new offline streaming service. These areas have suspect internet connection and WiFi which
