Netflix Windows app is set to remove its downloads feature, while introducing ads

Y’all just need to cancel your Netflix, they are too expensive for far too little
- Yup.
  They told me I could choose between ads and a 35% price rise.
  I replied "I have a better idea"
  Can honestly say I've not missed out watching anything I wanted to watch
- If I could figure out an easy way for my partner to download content to my Plex library, I'd dump Netflix and Hulu in a heartbeat. I'm picturing an app where they can search for any show or movie, hit download, and it will grab it from my private tracker and toss it on my server. AFAIK something like this just doesn't exist.
  
  Ombi and Overseerr will do this.
  
  https://github.com/darkalfx/requestrr
  
  One of those -arrs can be setup to download automatically when someone adds a movie or show to their watchlist.
  
  I setup overseerr to auto add users added to my plex server and auto approve anything they request or add to their watch list, they just need to login once to my overseerr for their plex account to be linked after that as long as they have the online media thing enabled that is enabled by default they can just search for anything through plex and add it to their watch list and overseerr will auto add it to the arrs and begin the search and download. I have to get in there from time to time to manually do shows that are low quality or in a different language some times but other than that it's all automated, you can even setup another tool that auto deletes things after a certain time so you can manage your storage easier
  
  I’ll second Ombi. It has a slick interface to search for any movie/tv show and when the user presses a download button the backend interfaces with other apps to download the media and provide it to Plex. Having your partner interface directly with Radarr or Sonarr just isn’t as user friendly
  
  You can use the plex watchlist feature to do this. Add the plex watchlist to the arrs and then when anything is added to the watchlist on plex the arrs will see it and add it to the queue. Works great.
  
  I mean I can think of a super easy way for her to do it.
  Text you the name. Lol
  
  There are several.
  I use Tailscale for it. Install it on your server, give partner access and she can add stuff to your .arr's from anywhere. Simple and free.
  
  You need to buy blurays for that
- Canceled mine.
  Sailing the high seas works just fine.
- The one value streaming services provide is subtitles in languages other than English. Unfortunately there aren't enough pirates in a lot of countries to make foreign media viable.
  
  That’s hilarious, I used to have trouble finding the stuff I wanted in subbed English, could only find dubbed that was changed in significant ways usually.
  Yes I was an anime nerd in the late 90’s and 2000’s
  
  My small ass original country with 9m pop has its own subtitle pages for pirated content. You just need to search by title + release group (+episode, if a TV show).
  I'm guessing most of them are created by some auto-subtitling services, because most are pretty horrible quality. But still better than nothing.
  
  Try https://github.com/morpheus65535/bazarr
  Bazarr is a companion application to Sonarr and Radarr. It manages and downloads subtitles based on your requirements. You define your preferences by TV show or movie and Bazarr takes care of everything for you.
- I cant, i share an account with my mom :(
  
  I share my jellyfin with my mom
  
  I spun up a Plex server for myself, built a NAS, then started inviting friends and family. If I can get multiple users to drop their subs, I’ll be making a larger impact. Fuck streaming subscriptions, I’m pirating content until I die. Now I can pirate for multiple users 🏴‍☠️
  
  I used to as well until I canceled it, I and my brother both setup plex servers so now they have more content without having to pay extra for sharing an account to a different address
  
  No sad face friend, it’s not your fault or responsibility, you are already not supporting them!
- Sounds too expensive. You should cancel it
- And start sailing the seven seas
- I'm going to try doing that. My wife watches it a bit though, and my kids watch it occasionally. I'm thinking I'll set aside $200 to buy whatever series they want, and if that lasts us the year, we've come out ahead.
  I need to do the same for Disney+. We really don't watch either enough...
- But they're actually producing good stuff lately. I've watched more Netflix originals this year than I have in the past 10.
  
  You can pirate, or if you want to do it the "right" way, you can sign up when there's something you want to watch and cancel when there isn't.

"What killed streaming?" - article from 2026
- "millennials are killing the streaming industry"
  The next season of Bridgerton is cancelled because you selfish millennials wouldn't drink your verification cans
  
  Actually, that's probably the one excuse that wouldn't fly. The only company that cancels more stuff randomly and with no reason than Netflix is Google.
  
  I still love that verification can reference. It was actually quite a bit ago but keeps getting more and more relevant.
- People have been making this comment for so long, with every anti-consumer change, and it's never been true.
  Killing VPN usages didn't do it, canceling shows didn't do it, the splintering of offerings across multiple platforms didn't do it, killing password sharing didn't do it, raising prices didn't do it, including an advertising tier didn't do.
  And this will not do it.
  Hell, this is barely going to tweak the dial. The overwhelming majority of people don't watch Netflix on the desktop app, why should they fear kick back from the few that do? All they'll say is the mobile versions will still let you download (because those file systems are sealed away from the user).
  Consumers will accept anything if there's no where else to get what they want. It's why the "free market" has no power in the tech space: consumers are so addicted to their chosen platforms, apps, devices, and services that they will accept literally anything before they entertain the idea of using anything else.
  That's partially why enshitification is getting so bad: there's no punishment for it. Users will not move.
  
  It’s sort of like “Going All-In works everytime. Until it doesn’t”
  
  Not enough uses for sure. I canceled all the shitty ones once they implemented these stupid as fuck changes.
  
  It’s ads while I’m paying that would do it for sure for me. I think I pay $24 a month. About to go back to sailing the high seas regardless. Their content has been lacking for quite a while.
  
  Is there any space where the "free market" actually exists?
- Yup. Just surprised Pikachu faces all around at Netflix. "But we were assured by our marketing department that customers would just pay any amout we wanted!"
- Greed, same as everything else
- There's not enough guaranteed margin in a single combined streaming and production house to feed the employees, investors, and media moguls.
  None of these companies are being outright assholes (well not more than normal). The business model is simply not sustainable and they're doing whatever they can to slow the inevitable collapse. We're producing 10 times the content we used to produce, and the revenue from the streamers is nowhere near enough to cover the bills.
  
  Netflix gross profit for the quarter ending December 31, 2023 was $3.525B, a 44.02% increase year-over-year.
  Netflix gross profit for the twelve months ending December 31, 2023 was $14.008B, a 12.54% increase year-over-year.
  What?

- Well that’s mighty selfish of you isn’t it, won’t you think of the Microsoft shareholder who want to make more money from harvesting your data and Netflix for wanting to serve you ads to increase profits.
  
  Microsoft doesn’t care if you use the app or the browser
  You’re still on their OS
- Depending on the browser, you won't get 4k. IIRC only works with Edge cause of DRM.
  
  You know what doesn't have shitty DRM? Torrents.
- I think the only way to get surround sound is in the desktop program. I don't know if that's a limitation of browsers or if the Netflix guys are just assholes.
  
  I could imagine a technical limitation if they use some proprietary audio codec to send compressed surround sound that the browser somehow doesn't support, but on the other hand why the fuck am I giving a big tech corporation any benefit of the doubt?

And I am set to remove Netflix subscription, while introducing torrents.
Ads are the one thing I won't tolerate on a paid service.
- I refuse to pay to watch ads.
  
  Which is exactly why I want to get rid of cable
- Title might be misleading, they’ll only add support for ad tiers, not introduce ads in all tiers
  
  At this time...

Pirated movies don’t have this problem.
I’m just saying, ruin your own service, and lose to pirates who can provide a better one for free.
- Yeah, Plex downloads work fine still, on all devices.
  
  Lol downloads is the one thing that definitively does not work for Plex
  https://duckduckgo.com/?q=plex+downloads+broken

These companies are gonna complain about piracy being so rampant while making their service so awful that piracy becomes a better choice
- As they always did and continue to do in all businesses.
  Look at food prices: Supermarket - We're raising prices on 95% of items by 200-300%. People: Steal because they can't afford basic food Supermarket: Shocked pikachu face
  
  Supermarket: Shocked pikachu face
  Actually, supermarkets typically factor theft and other types of damages (ex. product broke in transit, came open, etc.) into their projected sales.

I got Netflix stock, and i can tell you guys that stock is just going up and up.
People rly are fking stupid
- Yep, it's why everyone is raising prices, introducing ads and stopping password sharing, Netflix was the case that proved it works, there was a dip but now they have more users than before it.

Install an android emulator. Problem solved.
Start pirating again. Problem solved.
Make your own movies and shows. Problem solved.
Start a company, get rich, buy Netflix, problem solved.
Stop watching stuff, do something else. Problem solved.
Found a secret society, infiltrate politics worldwide, stir chaos and destruction, let the world burn and built a new Netflix from the world's ashes where you still can download stuff. Problem solved.
See? It's not that hard!
(In case it wasn't clear, I am joking.)
- Best comment so far

Meanwhile with piracy, you have none of these issues.... Good job, convenience wins.
- It's literally the thing that keeps me coming back (to the seas). I have paid for the services, and the service they provide has been steadily degraded. I still have Prime because they haven't fucked up delivery to my home (yet), but I don't even open the app on Roku anymore, I just download whatever it is, because I have no interest in dealing with their shit interface and then having to watch ads after.
  If a service can give me a simple, easy to use interface, good search feature, good quality, and decent enough content, you've got my money. That's just too much to ask these days, so I'll just donate to the site(s) that provide alternative services.
- There is just that teeny tiny ethical problem of not paying the creators and distributors for something we enjoy. This becomes a practical problem as well. If they make less money, it's likely that even more movies or series get killed or never even started.
  Idk what to do.
  
  The golden age of streaming is already over. Peoples wallets are getting tighter these days, but the value of what we are paying for is also declining. There is a lot less on Netflix now then there was 5 years ago and the cost has gone way up. They produce their own shows but then cancel them constantly, even if they have a decent following. Netflix has been putting in effort to make their service shittier and more expensive, removing features that people originally switched from cable to get.
  Netflix IS the content creator and yet giving them more money doesn't seem to be making their content better or stop them from cancelling shows.
  Not to mention, some of these streaming sites allow you to "purchase" a movie, but then when they lose licensing to those shows it gets removed from your library. So there's no value in purchasing digital content anymore because it can get taken from you at any time. Digital ownership has become a myth.
  If you want to support your favorite shows, purchase them on DVD or go see it in theater. Paying for a streaming service is only encouraging these companies to continue raising prices and reduce the value of the product you pay for.
  
  I'm not really thrilled about almost all the money in show business being funneled to a couple of actors and actresses and giant studios/big money.
  Over and over again the majority of writers, actors, actresses and supporting teams strike for a real share and they never seem to get one.
  Meanwhile big companies get billions in tax credits every year for shooting movies. The public subsidizes the costs and then pays again once a show releases. It's insanely big bucks going to the ownership class.
  
  The fact of the matter is that people will happily pay for content if it is made available in a convenient and affordable way. Hell, many people will voluntarily pay artists for content that is available completely for free. That’s how patreon works, and there are self published authors approaching $1M/year in income due to readers choosing to support the author for their hard work.
  People have no issue paying content creators.
  Piracy rose to prominence in the 2000s because a few executives were funneling massive amounts of money into their pockets by the sale of CDs and cable services that were simultaneously expensive and inconvenient. The studios attacked pirates directly to little effect because you simply can’t stop the free dissemination of information among the public.
  Piracy almost completely died when streaming made the alternatives affordable, user friendly and convenient. In a world where the proliferation of streaming services is making content just as expensive and inconvenient as in the old days of cable, it’s only natural that piracy will once again rise to prominence.
  If they want to get paid, they simply need to stop fucking with the customer and offer a service people want to pay for.

..... Yarrrrr mateys
- Yaaaaaarrrrrr
  
  Ha har, yarr!

its like they want you to turn to piracy
- Plot twist! Now the pirate pay costs subscription fees, and is owned by Netflix!!! Ohhhhh, what a twist!

They've gone full circle at this point: it's like paying for TV channels and piracy is looking really attractive again, even though Netflix was the reason many people stopped doing that initially (I assume)
- To be honest, I like watching SciFi and superhero movies yet cinemas are too expensive in my country. So, my fiance (Netflix) and I (Amazon Prime) bought thsse services and using together.
  But guess what:
  No HBO in my country, so no DC for me. Yet they are not selling DC to Turkey neither. So no DC movie for me after 2018(?)
  Both Netflix and Prime just puts their content, and forget the rest for Turkey. For example I couldn't watch Mad Max: Fury Road one month ago
  They are doing some kind of censorship? You cannot watch too bloody, too sexual, too whatever content while there is no legal censorship on internet content. For example I can watch "Barda" ("at pub") on Youtube but not on Prime.
  So yes, why I am paying for TV channels wtih ads?
- Back then, when I wanted to watch a film, I checked Netflix first, then amazon video. I only reached for other sources if it was unavailable at both. Now there are way too many platforms to pay for, and they are getting way too shitty to pay at all.
  There was a time when I was even feeling good going "clean". Now everything is dirtier than I ever imagined.
  
  Yeah, not only are there a dozen platforms that you need to search but they all suck. I have seen so many instances where people download videos for a vacation and then they can't be played. I can't even share screenshots to advertise the shows that you are selling to my friends for free!
  Funny enough when I have a video file sitting on my computer it just works, all of the time, super fast. And instead of using services that tell me what streaming platform a given show is on it is easier to use a service that tell me the infohash of the file.
  
  Totally agree!
- Yup. Cable TV was amazing back in the 1980s. Almost no ads and great content (I loved "Night Flight" on USA, especially). But it didn't take them more than 10 years to ruin it.

So they are introducing ads and removing the download option, both moves unfriendly to consumers. Sounds like they plan to do a "We've listened to consumers and" shelving one of those moves for later (probably the download option) when the hubbub over the worse option dies down.
- Also, at least where I live, they are increasing prices.
  Makes me feel like it's time to dust my old pirate hat...

Took me a minute to figure out why these 2 updates would be bundled together. Must be cause if you downloaded something you'd be able to bypass their ads
- Must be cause if you downloaded something you’d be able to bypass their ads
  They could also download the ads. People on an ad-supported subscription tier would probably expect that those are there.
  
  The ad design could link to the products and out of Netflix. So they wouldn't get clicks
  Idk I didn't have expertise in this space

My wife and I unsubscribed a few months back. I've not noticed.
- Better late than never, fuck Netflix!

Enshittification follows its course.

A quick reminder : you don't need to watch Netflix.

"While downloads will no longer be supported, you can continue to watch TV shows and movies offline on a supported mobile device," the Netflix document says
So essentially Windows devices are no longer "supported" wrt this particular feature.
It essentially means the Windows app will be little more than a wrapper for the Netflix website.
It's possible that the move means Netflix can save some money on licensing, which may cost extra if downloads are included – enabling users to take shows and movies around with them and watch them without an internet connection.
So once again everything devolves down to licensing - i.e. it sounds like they were pressured into this hard choice to leave those users in the cold, which they did. Probably bc the user base of Windows phones is so tiny? (Edit: bc they are discontinued, though more likely they meant the desktop - i.e. laptops - sorry if I caused any confusion).
Though that is one of the main advantages of Netflix these days, as opposed to e.g. piracy.
TLDR: Ultimately it is yet more enshittification, and while due to licensing rather than Netflix, still it is Netflix users (on Windows devices) who will bear the burden.
My advice would be to disable automatic updates and coast for a long while on the current app version, though that can be easier said than done due to multiple locations of automatic update settings. I have zero experience with Windows lately, but good luck if you want to try it!:-|
- If there’s still downloads available on mobile it’s probably not licensing. Iirc the downloads were only available in shit quality anyways so as always, pirating is a better experience.
  
  Only if the people that pirate the shows are able to obtain those higher quality downloads.
  As these platforms become increasingly hostile to users, they're going to be well aware of the subsequent increase in piracy, and implement even more methods of preventing their content from being pirated.
  It will always be impossible to stop piracy completely, but you can make it increasingly difficult to obtain best quality.
  Keep in mind all of the various things that are starting to be implemented or suggested to ensure device/environment "integrity" in recent years. I promise a day is coming when Netflix and other streaming services will only allow streaming to "approved" browsers and devices, i.e. the ones that allow them to scrutinize every single bit of the stack down to the hardware.
  
  This is part of why I like Apple TV+ so much. I watched two episodes of Slow Horses in 1080p HDR on my iPhone while in an airplane. It was fantastic.
  
  I am not certain I know what you mean.
  Netflix hasn't given any reason for ditching downloads on Windows: when Windows Latest asked about it they were simply directed to the relevant support document, which confirms that a new app is "coming soon", without the download option.
  The fact that downloading is still available on Windows is purely bc the update hasn't rolled out yet.
  They think (unproven) that this radical change might be due to the cheaper licensing options if they remove the ability to download. A cost-benefit analysis where Windows users will either take it and like it or else who cares about Windows ~~mobile~~ users anyway if they leave. Either way, a victory for licensing companies, or they'll spin it that way regardless.
  My worry is that it will embolden them to go still yet further, making it harder on both pirates and paying customers just bc they can get away with doing so.:-(
- You must be a time traveler because Windows phones don't exist. This is about normal Windows.
  
  Surely it'll be supported on desktop Windows once Windows 10 is released?
  
  I presumed it meant existing ones, even if they are no longer making new ones. But yeah, I see you are right, it does seem about the desktop, or presumably meaning laptops that could go offline.
- "While downloads will no longer be supported, you can continue to watch TV shows and movies offline on a supported mobile device," the Netflix document says
  So essentially Windows devices are no longer "supported" wrt this particular feature.
  If I had to guess, it might be because the people that pirate Netflix shows may be doing it from the Windows app using the download feature. After all, you have full access to the file system on Windows.
  Meanwhile, iPhones have always been locked down to prevent the user from accessing the file system, and Android in the last couple versions has locked its file system down too, while Google continues to become increasingly fierce in trying to detect and block anybody with a rooted device.
  
  Android in the last couple versions has locked its file system down too
  Really!? I'm a bit behind, but somehow this surprises me. I mean, not the intention, bc Google's motto these days is "definitely be evil", but that it had gotten this far this fast.
  Anyway at a guess all you'd have to do is download whatever you want, then root, profit, then turn off root and it wouldn't even know? Plus the tons of ways that you can do things without even needing root access these days, and I haven't even mentioned yet a custom ROM. And ofc piracy, where someone else obtains the video files, e.g. ripping from a physical medium. So they will most definitely lose that flight. And in the meantime, the most honest customers are the ones who suffer.
  Overall I just chalked this up to: anyone who uses Windows (or iOS) basically is at the mercy of profit-seeking behaviors. You will own nothing, and like it - or else!:-(
  
  while Google continues to become increasingly fierce in trying to detect and block anybody with a rooted device
  While that's true, I don't think that anyone is able to tell at this time whether such efforts will ever become effective. Atm, we have things like GApps, so this is a non-issue.
- I wish this was limited to just windows phones. My travel device, a windows laptop with a removalbe keyboard, will no longer be able to download shows. Which means no more Netflix on airplanes for me.
  
  I'm sorry to hear of your loss:-(. Ironically, mobile devices using iOS and Android look to still allow downloading.
  Is it possible to simply not update the Netflix app on your laptop?
  It really is sad when they push people to use piracy methods, even for things that we would have had access to using totally legal means, but which they choose to no longer support:-(. e.g. in the olden days, it was legal to rip a copy of a CD or DVD for your own purposes, so long as you did not distribute it and thereby prevent a sale to keep the industry running. Whereas by no longer allowing even temporary downloads, Netflix is keeping their same price but now delivering less features in return, which may lose them several customers.
- Is Windows mobile still a thing? I thought they meant the app in the windows store ( desktop/laptop).
  Last time I saw somebody use a windows phone was 10 years afk :/
  
  Looks like the last release was 2020, so yeah they almost certainly meant laptops.
- Infuse let’s you download shows off your Jellyfin server and watch offline
  
  Let's not pretend that an "average" mobile user is capable of doing that?
  Which is why we need to help one another to get there:-).

Capitalism breeds innovation

How is this not considered false advertising? They literally market offline viewing as a feature

this is part of the reason why the stock market does what its doing
my internet is too shitty to watch without downloading though so it's not because of me
- wdym even a shitty 50mbps connection is enough to watch stuff at 1080p
  heck, even 3g/4g with it's unusable 10-15mbps is still good enough yo stream video at a decent quality
  
  What a world it would be if everyone had minimum 50mbps internet. "Good" rural internet is 1mbps for a lot of peeps, and a whole lot more people have a whole lot lower speeds.
  
  Some people still live is DSL land, even in the US.
  
  shitty 50mbps
  .........................I feel like anyone who grew up with 56k gets legal right to strangle you for these personal attacks against our childhood.
  
  shitty 50mbps
  shitty would be less than 10mbps, perhaps you are from places where the internet isn't comically expensive.

Guess it's time to use the other download feature.

Guess people are gonna have to sail the seven seas.

The people on your man o' war
\ Are treated worse than scum
\ I'm no flogging captain
\ And by God I've sailed with some
\ Come with me to Barbary
\ We'll ply there up and down
\ Not quite exactly
\ In the service of the Crown
🏴‍☠️

🏴‍☠️ 🏴‍☠️ 🏴‍☠️

Netflix living long enough to become the villain I see

This is no big deal because Windows users are used to ads. Sorry feeling snarky.

- Yo, ho, ho and a bottle of rum!

I just hope this does not affect WEB-DLs 🥲
- It won't. This isn't how WEB-DLs are produced.
  
  How are they produced?

the televisionification (good grief, what?) of the internet is truly one of the most monstrous and monumental failures of creativity the world has ever seen.
Cramming this square peg into that round hole no matter the fucking consequences
nothing matters but money, right? (kys pos)

I'm laughing in Plex

- We do. Because it's the only streaming app that has a very large catalogue of local shows and non western shows that is available in our country.
  Also we (my family) pay because it's our choice and nothing you say will change that.
  That said.
  I pirate shows from Amazon, Disney, hbo, Hulu, paramount, etc. Simply because I chose Netflix to pay because they were the first to not snub our country and offered their services and I choose to not pay for other platforms, because it's expensive to do so.
  
  How do you choose what you pirate and what you dont?
- It's one of the only non-Android TV, Apple TV, or Roku ways of streaming Netflix with a remote via HTPC. There are EXTREMELY niche uses for it.
- We, yesterday for a train ride. We, next week, for the way back. We almost every month for that purpose.

Cancelled last month. Don’t miss it. Entertain myself by downloading and installing Linux distributions instead. They usually can be downloaded using torrent/magnet links.
- Cancelled in '19. Haven't missed it.

The problem is power dynamic. It is a DRM service built round closed apps. You will take what you are given and like it. You can not view their cultural work without agreeing to these terms (Legally). The deal will keep getting worse until it starts losing money.
Edit: English fixes
- They don't get that their actions lose them money. They will just keep throwing more ads and higher prices at you while their profits continue to spiral down. Who would've thought that people will get pissed and drop Netflix when sharing passwords was cracked down? What do they think will happen this time.
  
  They think they have a captured market. They aren't completely wrong. Normies don't know how to sail the high seas.

Downloads on my Surface for the sake of my vacation were the reason I resubscribed. Seems fitting it should be the reason I unsubscribe. I only worry about finding a good point of communication to let them know about this reason.

Jellyfin + rip your movies off the dvds. You can even invite your friends to watch your movies too.
You know. Like we used to be able to.
Fuck late stage capitalism and every greedy little pig out there. Hope you lose your mansions, cars, and expensive toys. You can live down here with the rest of us at a perfectly reasonable level.

They are doing extra work to change the product in ways that customers don't want.
Can someone explain to me again how "free markets" and "competition" are supposed to work?

It's possible that the move means Netflix can save some money on licensing, which may cost extra if downloads are included – enabling users to take shows and movies around with them and watch them without an internet connection.
Maximize profit. Good for them. Never good for us. Never.
Why is it so terrible to build a company that people love?
- Shareholders are the real costumers.

I use a Netflix download app or a video capture app to store Netflix videos for offline viewing. They are charging a lot and not meeting my needs so I take matter into my own hands.

Boycott!

The Enshittification will continue while our profits soar.

honestly every single headline about how shitty streaming is getting, wantonly, willfully, feels like a hit of crack. nothing better than owning your own library.

There is a windows software for Netflix? I have been using my browser on all platforms tbh

I got not long after they stopped DVDs and the selection plummeted in the areas I was interested (a lot of niche films and foreign films for language practice, so not super common). Have not regretted it.