Can Hulu movies and shows be downloaded?

Nothing says travel like the mind-numbing boredom that comes with sitting in a plane, train, or bus terminal. But why suffer through tedium when the ability to watch your favorite content on your mobile phone is but a tap away? Much of Hulu’s catalog is available without an internet connection, and it’s oh-so-simple to download them in advance.

How to watch Hulu offline

Before you rush to download the latest episode of The Bear for your next trip, keep in mind there are some exceptions to Hulu downloads. First, only those who subscribe to one of the Hulu (No Ads) plans can take advantage of this feature. Second, Hulu only supports certain mobile devices. You’ll have no issues with iPhones, iPads, Android mobile devices, and Amazon Fire tablets, but a laptop might be a no-go. And finally, not everything can be downloaded, premium add-ons like live-tv, Showtime, Starz, and Max don’t qualify for download.

With those caveats in mind and a solid internet connection, it’s easy to find Hulu’s downloadable catalog.

To download a movie or show off of Hulu, click on Hulu’s global navigation bar and tap “Downloads.” From there, you can see what’s downloadable. You can also search “Downloadable” from the browse menu.  

Select the show or movie you’d like to watch and press the download icon  near the bottom of the screen. Keep in mind that you’ll have to select each episode you want to download individually.

Hulu allows 25 downloads at a single time, and you can monitor your download’s progress from the global navigation bar.

Viewers have access to their unwatched downloads for 30 days. Episodes you’ve watched will disappear from your library, and played episodes will disappear within 48 hours.

And there you have it, the devastatingly simple download solution from Hulu. You can always stream your favorite shows and movies through your mobile plan, but when the download process is so easy, why waste the data?