Downloading Netflix movies and TV shows is surely a delight for many entertainment lovers. But limited default space on Android phones is major challenge to overcome. Thankfully, now you can download Netflix movies to an SD card.
There are two methods to download Netflix contents on SD card; you can either copy everything to an SD card manually or set up an SD card as shared storage.
How to Download Netflix Movies and TV Shows to an SD Memory Card Manually
This is the easiest way to copy Netflix movies and shows to your SD card; but it is quite tiresome. When you download a movie from Netflix, it is saved on an unknown folder on your Android phone’s built-in memory space. You can transfer the downloaded videos/movies/TV shows to an SD card for time being; though this saves space on your device, you have to get those contents back on your device whenever you like to watch them.
Netflix files, when downloaded, are not seated on your device with descriptive names; what you see is a folder with a long, random number. This is why, experts suggest that you should download a single episode or movie at a time; this will keep your library organized.
Step #1: Launch your choice of file manager; Solid Explorer is quite popular.
Step #2: Toggle the option of ‘show hidden files and folders’ ON.
Tap the menu button in Solid Explorer.
Next, tap on ‘Folder options’ and then tap ‘Show hidden files’ check box.
Step #3: Now, browse through Device Storage → Android → data → com.netflix.mediaclient → files → Download → .of
Step #4: You can see a folder that is named with multiple numbers; you need to long press on the folder and cut it to clipboard when you see ‘Cut’ (scissors) icon.
Step #5: Swipe the left panel of Solid Explorer and tap on SD card.
Step #6: Browse through the folder wherein you wish to save the files. Tap on the round shape clipboard icon in the bottom right corner to paste the copied files.
Step #7: You can now rename the Netflix folder to add the downloaded movie/TV show; remember that you are not supposed to erase those numbers as you will require them later. So just add the name of the movie or TV show at the end of those numbers.
Step #8: Now you can watch your favourite movie or show at your leisure; you have to copy the folder back to its original location as mentioned in step 3 above. Remove the name you had added after the numbers so that only the numbers remain.
Points to Ponder
Do not rename or change any files stored in .of folder on your device as Netflix fails to recognize it or won’t play the file.
Labels are temporary; when you save files in your SD card temporarily, you can add names of movies or TV shows. Later, when you put those files and folders back, you need to use the original numbers.
This is a tiresome process, and Netflix can probably block such workarounds in its next update; however, until such updates come, you can store many files that cannot be placed on internal storage of your device.
With the help of OTG cables, you can also store downloaded files on flash drives or larger hard drives. Care should be taken that your external drives have to use exFAT file system.
How to Set up an SD card as Shared Storage
When you download any Netflix content on your SD card, you are using that SD card just as an extension of the internal storage of your device. This means, you allow your phone to ‘adopt’ any SD card to enlarge the built-in storage space.
There are some demerits of this process; you need to reformat your SD card as you have to take backup of your SD card. Reason is simple: when you won’t be able to recover any data you have stored on SD card. So before going ahead with the above method, you have to relocate all apps you have transferred to SD card; moreover, if you have store photos on SD card, transfer them back to related apps. You should download your Netflix contents on a fresh SD card.
If your SD card is slow, it will directly affect the speed of your phone as well; it is better to use faster class 6 SD cards that can match the fast speed of your Android phone.
Once you adopt an SD card, Android begins to consider your SD card as built-in memory space, and hence, it is not advisable to remove your external card. You should buy a fresh card so that it works as a dedicated Netflix memory card in your Android phone.
Now you go ahead and turn your SD card into an adopted storage.
Step #1: Install a newly purchased SD card into your Android phone; if it is already installed, remove it and insert it again.
Step #2: You will be notified that a new drive is detected; tap ‘Set Up’ in this notification.
Step #3: Tap on ‘Use as internal storage’. This action will erase the SD card.
Step #4: Next, you will be asked to shift additional data to the new storage. You can do this later: Settings → Storage → SD Card → Migrate Data.
It is done!
All your existing apps including Netflix will be using the space on SD card.
GOTTEN FROM INDABAA.COM
Comments
Post a Comment