Hulu is a go-to streaming platform in the US, known for its affordable plans and next-day access to many network shows. It also offers a download option for offline viewing. However, this feature comes with certain restrictions on what you can download, how many titles you can store, and how long those downloads remain available. This guide will delve into these limitations in detail and provide practical workarounds to help you maximize your offline viewing experience.
Related: Why Can’t I Download on Hulu?
Hulu offers the option to download movies and TV shows, but this feature is available only to Hulu (No Ads) subscribers. If you’re on the Hulu (With Ads) plan and wish to download content, you’ll need to upgrade your Hulu subscription.
Here are the plan details:
Hulu downloads are supported on specific mobile devices. Ensure your device’s operating system and Hulu app are up to date. The following devices are compatible:
You can only download shows and movies that are part of the standard Hulu streaming library. This means content from Premium Add-ons and the on-demand content included with Hulu + Live TV cannot be downloaded. To see if a show or movie is available for download, look for the Download icon next to its title.
Hulu allows a maximum of 25 downloads across 5 supported mobile devices per account. These limits are set for the entire account, meaning they apply to all profiles and devices associated with the account. If you attempt to download more than 25 titles, you’ll receive an on-screen notification.
If you’ve reached the download limit, you’ll need to remove some existing downloads:
Downloaded titles on Hulu have two expiration periods:
If a download expires before you’ve watched it, you can renew it with the following steps:
Hulu downloads are exclusively available on the mobile app. While you can stream Hulu on computers via a web browser, downloading is not supported on these devices. Additionally, downloaded content is tied to the specific mobile device it was downloaded on and cannot be transferred to other devices. It’s important to note that logging out of the Hulu app will result in the deletion of all downloaded content on that device.
Now that you understand Hulu’s download limitations, you might be looking for alternative solutions for offline viewing. Professional downloaders like Pazu Hulu Video Downloader can download Hulu movies and TV shows regardless of your Hulu plan (With Ads or No Ads). It works on both Windows and Mac, converting titles to MP4 and MKV formats. These downloaded files can then be transferred to other devices for offline playback. Pazu Hulu Video Downloader also includes a built-in Hulu web player, eliminating the need for the Hulu app. This approach allows for more flexibility in offline viewing and bypasses Hulu’s download restrictions, including expiration dates.
Here’s how to use Pazu Hulu Video Downloader to download Hulu movies and TV shows as MP4 files:
Download, install and launch Pazu Hulu Video Downloader on your Mac or Windows. Log in your Hulu account and choose hulu.com, hulu.jp or hulu.jp/store.
Enter the movie/TV show title in the search field.
Or copy and paste the link of the movie/TV show from the Hulu website. Then click the Search icon.
Click the Settings icon to change the video format, codec, audio and subtitle languages, output folder, Interface language, and more.
Click the Download icon next to the show to choose any season and episodes you want to download.
Then click the Download button in the bottom right corner to start downloading the Hulu title to your computer.
Click the History menu to view all downloaded videos. Click the folder icon to quickly locate the Hulu videos in MP4 or MKV format. You can transfer and play them on any supported device, without worrying about the expiration date or other Hulu download limitations.
Download Hulu Video movies and TV shows to MP4/MKV on your PC/Mac