Disney Plus lets you download most movies and shows to your phone or tablet, then watch them without an internet connection

Disney Plus built downloading into its app on phones and tablets — you can save a movie or episode, then watch it later on a plane, during a commute, or anywhere without WiFi. The download stays on your device until you delete it. You cannot download on a web browser or smart TV, only on iOS and Android apps.

The steps are straightforward: open the Disney Plus app, find the title you want, tap the download icon (usually a downward arrow), and wait for it to finish. How long that takes depends on your internet speed and the video quality you choose. A two-hour movie on standard quality might take five to ten minutes on a fast home WiFi connection.

Key Takeaways

  • Downloads work only on the Disney Plus app for iPhone, iPad, and Android phones — not on web browsers or smart TVs.
  • You can download most movies and shows, but some titles are blocked by licensing agreements and cannot be downloaded.
  • Downloaded videos stay on your device until you manually delete them, and they count toward your device's storage space.
  • Your Disney Plus account must be active to watch a downloaded video — the app checks your subscription status when you open the file.

How to download a movie or show on your phone or tablet

Open the Disney Plus app and search for or navigate to the title you want. On the title's page, look for a download icon — on most phones it looks like a downward-pointing arrow, sometimes inside a circle. Tap it once.

The app will ask you to choose a video quality: Standard or High. Standard uses less storage space and downloads faster. High quality takes up more room on your device but looks sharper on a larger screen. Pick whichever fits your device's available storage, then tap to confirm. The download will begin immediately and show a progress bar.

Once the download finishes, you will see a checkmark or filled circle next to the download icon. The video is now saved to your device. You can watch it anytime by opening the app, going to the title, and tapping Play — even if you have no internet connection.

Why some titles cannot be downloaded

Not every movie or show on Disney Plus can be downloaded. Some titles have licensing restrictions that prevent Disney from offering offline downloads. These restrictions come from the studios or distributors who own the content and control how it can be used.

If a title cannot be downloaded, the download icon will not appear on its page, or it will be grayed out. There is no way around this — it is a restriction built into the licensing agreement, not a technical limitation you can work around. If you want to watch that title offline, you would need to stream it while connected to WiFi and keep the app open.

How much storage space downloads use

A downloaded movie or show takes up space on your phone or tablet just like any other file. A two-hour movie on Standard quality typically uses 1 to 3 gigabytes. High quality can use 3 to 6 gigabytes for the same movie. A single episode of a show usually takes 300 megabytes to 1 gigabyte depending on length and quality.

Check how much free space your device has before downloading several titles. On iPhone, go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage to see available space. On Android, go to Settings > Storage to check. If you run low on space, delete downloads you have already watched by opening the title in Disney Plus and tapping the download icon again to remove it.

How long downloads stay on your device

A downloaded video remains on your device until you delete it. There is no automatic expiration date. However, your Disney Plus account must still be active to watch it — the app checks your subscription status when you open the file, even though the video itself is stored locally on your phone.

If your subscription lapses, you will not be able to play any downloaded videos until you reactivate your account. Once you do, the downloads will work again without needing to re-download them.

Transferring downloads between devices

Downloads are tied to the device they were saved on. You cannot move a downloaded movie from your phone to your tablet, or from one phone to another. If you want to watch a title offline on a different device, you need to download it again on that device.

This is by design — Disney Plus uses this restriction to prevent sharing downloaded content outside your household. Each device that logs into your account can have its own set of downloads, but they do not sync across devices.

What to do if a download fails or gets stuck

If a download stalls or shows an error, close the Disney Plus app completely and reopen it. Check that you are still connected to WiFi or have a stable mobile data connection. Tap the download icon again to restart the download from where it left off.

If the download keeps failing, try deleting the partial download by tapping the download icon to remove it, then wait a few minutes before trying again. Sometimes a temporary connection issue or app glitch causes the failure. If it continues to fail on multiple titles, try uninstalling and reinstalling the Disney Plus app, or contact Disney Plus support through the app's Help section.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I download Disney Plus content on my computer or smart TV?

No. Disney Plus only allows downloads on the mobile app for iOS and Android devices. You cannot download on a web browser, computer app, or smart TV. If you want to watch offline on a larger screen, you would need to stream the content over WiFi instead.

What happens to my downloads if I cancel my Disney Plus subscription?

The downloaded files stay on your device, but you will not be able to play them. The app checks your subscription status every time you try to watch. Once your subscription ends, the files become unplayable. If you resubscribe later, they will work again without needing to re-download.

Can I share downloaded movies with someone else on a different account?

No. Downloads are locked to the device and the account that downloaded them. Someone else cannot watch your downloads even if they use the same device, because the app checks which account is logged in. They would need to download the content themselves using their own Disney Plus account.

Do downloaded videos use my mobile data if I watch them offline?

No. Once a video is fully downloaded, playing it uses no data at all — it plays directly from your device's storage. This is the main reason to download: you can watch without using your phone's data plan.

How do I know if a download is finished?

The Disney Plus app shows a progress bar while downloading. Once it reaches 100 percent, you will see a checkmark or filled circle next to the download icon. The title is then ready to watch offline anytime.