Netflix launches ‘smart downloads’ to queue your next offline episode automatically

Netflix is rolling out a new “smart downloads” feature designed to make offline viewing just a little bit easier.

The video-streaming giant finally caved to pressure back in 2016 when it allowed subscribers to download some movies and TV shows to watch offline. But the problem with the feature as it stood was that you had to manually download each episode in a series. Not a great deal of friction, to be sure, but it was evidently enough that Netflix has developed a way to automate the process. With “smart downloads,” Netflix will automatically delete an episode when a user finishes watching it and then download the next one.

“We know how annoying it can be to go through all your apps and delete files you no longer need; we also understand that when it comes to Netflix, the faster you can get to the next episode you want to watch, the better,” said Netflix director of product innovation Cameron Johnson.

It’s worth noting here that smart downloads will only work on a Wi-Fi connection, and if you don’t want Netflix tampering with your downloads, you’ll need to toggle the feature off in the My Downloads section — yes, it’s turned on by default.

Additionally, the feature is only available on Android devices for now, though it is safe to assume it will be landing on iOS in the foreseeable future.