Hulu offline downloads are here, but you'll have to pay for it

Update, October 22, 2019 (01:55 PM ET): Looks like we didn’t need to wait too long before Hulu offline downloads hit Android devices. Starting today, compatible Android devices should have the feature that iPhone and iPad users have enjoyed for the past few weeks (via The Verge).

All the information below — which discusses iOS features — also pertains to Android, including only members on the no-ads plan are eligible, only 25 titles can be downloaded across five devices, etc. Read on for more info.

Original article, October 7, 2019 (07:30 PM ET): Finally, Hulu is offering offline downloads so users can keep binging long after they have left a solid internet connection. But, don’t get your hopes up just yet. The feature has a couple of caveats users need to consider before they get too excited.

It is only available on the $11.99 no-ads plan, and only iOS and iPad OS devices can take advantage of this feature so far. Hulu says Android support is coming “soon,” but that doesn’t do us any good now.

The feature also only lets subscribers download up to 25 titles across five devices. Unwatched downloads expire after 30 days, and watched content expires after two. Subscribers can always renew an expired download when they get back online if it is still available on the service.

Titles available to download will have an icon symbolizing so on the details page. To easily browse downloadable content, users can head to the new downloads page and click the button “see what’s downloadable.”

Read also: How to watch Hulu offline on Android devices

Hulu says users will be able to download thousands of shows and movies, and it lists Family Guy, Desperate Housewives, This is Us, How I Met Your Mother, and ER as examples. Hulu also says original content like The Handmaid’s Tale, Shrill, and The Act are included, but we aren’t certain if that includes all Hulu Originals or not.

Amazon Prime Video and Netflix have had this feature for a while. Even with its caveats, it’s good to see Hulu finally catching up to the competition.