How to use the Disney Plus app to download and watch movies and shows offline

Dominique McIntee,Steven CohenSep 14, 2020, 20:24 IST

Business Insider

Alyssa Powell/Business Insider

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The Disney Plus streaming service is now available for $6.99 a month or $69.99 a year.
In addition to traditional streaming, subscribers with the Disney Plus app can also download shows and movies on up to 10 mobile devices to watch offline.
To get started, you must first install the app and download titles while connected to the internet.
Subscribers can enjoy TV shows and movies from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, and 20th Century Fox, including new exclusive titles you won't find anywhere else.

Disney's new streaming platform, Disney Plus, is now available in several regions around the world. The subscription service offers access to a growing collection of movies and TV shows, including original content developed exclusively for Disney Plus. All of the studio's major brands and franchises are represented, and the library features a mix of classic titles from Disney's vault, recent blockbusters, and new releases.

Disney Plus subscriptions cost $6.99 per month. There's also an annual subscription plan for $69.99 per year. This means that buyers who opt for the yearly option end up saving about $14 total for the 12-month period. For those who want even more streaming content to choose from, Disney Plus is also available as a bundle with Hulu and ESPN+ for $12.99 per month. That's about $6 less than the total monthly cost of subscribing to each service separately.

Though streaming is the platform's main playback method, Disney Plus subscriptions also include support for downloads. This feature allows you to save titles to a compatible device in order to watch them offline. There are a few steps you need to follow in order to download shows and movies, so we've broken down the process to help make watching Disney Plus offline a breeze.

Updated on 9/14/2020 by Steven Cohen: Added mention of download support for Premier Access purchases, like "Mulan." Removed mention of the Disney Plus free trial since it is not currently available. Added a link to our Disney Plus review.

Does Disney Plus have an app?

Yes, Disney Plus has an app. Not only can you stream its expansive collection of TV shows and movies on up to four devices simultaneously, but you can also download these titles as often as you'd like using the Disney Plus app on up to 10 mobile and tablet devices.

From the app, subscribers can watch downloaded shows and movies on their phones and tablets without Wi-Fi or a cellular connection. In order to watch offline, you must download the app and the titles you want to watch while connected to the internet. The download icon, located on the bottom menu, allows you to access your saved shows and movies in one place. Download support is even included for Premier Access purchases, like "Mulan," which subscribers can pay an additional fee to watch.

That said, there is a possibility that some downloaded titles might become unavailable at a later date. Due to shifting licensing agreements and potential rights restrictions, in rare instances, Disney may need to remove certain movies or shows from the Disney Plus streaming library. If that happens, your download will also be removed. This is a common practice on other streaming platforms as well.

Unlike most competitor streaming services, however, as long as titles remain available to stream, there is no limit to the number of titles you can store and watch on Disney Plus — just make sure you have enough storage on your device and be sure to log in to the Disney Plus app from one of your devices at least every 30 days so the downloads don't expire. Additionally, you can download the same title as many times as you'd like.

In comparison, on Netflix, you can only download 100 shows and movies on a single device, and depending on your subscription plan, you can only watch downloaded content on one to four devices at a given time. Additional restrictions also apply.

Meanwhile, the new HBO Max streaming service limits subscribers to 30 downloads per account. Downloads automatically expire 48 hours after you start watching them, and any unwatched downloads expire after 30 days.

With Hulu, you'll run into even more restrictions. Hulu users are limited to 25 episodes and movies downloaded at a time, which are only available on up to five compatible devices. Another caveat is that downloads are also temporary, and there are other limitations.

How to download Disney Plus movies and shows, right on your mobile or tablet device:

1. First, install the Disney Plus app and make sure you're connected to Wi-Fi.

Sign in to your existing account or create a new Disney Plus account.
Select the title you'd like to download.
If it's a single movie, tap the download icon, which is the downward-facing arrow under the title. For TV shows, tap the icon to the right of "Season" to download an entire season. If you only want to download a single episode, tap the icon that's to the right of the episode title.
Once the download is finished, you can enjoy your show offline from anywhere.

2. Finding your downloaded content is easy.

Select the download icon at the bottom of the app screen.
You'll then see every title you've ever downloaded. There's no limit to how much you can save to your account as long as your device has the necessary storage.

3. Deleting titles from your downloads is easy too.

Tap the download icon at the bottom of the screen to view your archive.
Choose the title you want to remove and select the checkmark icon to the right of it.
Select "Remove Download."

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