San Francisco: Netflix has launched a new feature for its Android users on Monday that allows them to view partially downloaded titles -- which will hopefully make exasperated attempts to quickly download content minutes before a flight, a slightly less distressing experience.
With this development, Android users on mobile and tablets (versions 7.64 and higher) will now be able to stream Netflix shows and movies before their download is completed.
"We always want to make it easier for members to access their favourite series or movies regardless of language, device, connectivity or location," said Keela Robison, Vice President, Product Innovation.
"So, partial downloading is now available on Android phones and tablets, and we'll begin testing on iOS in the coming months. That's the download on Netflix's latest improvement - for now," Robison added.
Previously, a title needed to be completely finished downloading to a device before it could be viewed -- which, depending on your Wifi connection or data plan could make streaming a title a headache, particularly in the aforementioned airport scenario.
However, partial downloading will be limited to Android mobile and tablet devices for now, but the streaming giant has promised that it "will be testing on iOS in the coming months".
In addition, the company also plans to roll out the Downloads for You feature to its iOS users which auto-downloads recommended titles based on viewers watch history. This feature was rolled out to Android users in February and would be getting a test on iOS "soon".
With this new addition, iOS users can access Smart Downloads and download the next episode of a series a user is viewing, in their settings. The current Android users will be able to find this option in their settings in the Continue Watching section of the service or from the Download menu on Android.