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Netflix has added a feature that games have been offering for quite some time, the ability to stream partial downloads.
The company today has confirmed that users on Android can now stream partial downloads of content in the Netflix app. The ability to use the new feature begins today. So no longer will users need to worry as much about rushing to download everything before they start watching.
If you play any sort of PC games, especially ones from big publishers, then you’re no doubt already familiar with how this sort of thing works. Clients like Battle.net and Ubisoft Connect have allowed people to play games during game and update downloads for quite some time. Typically all players have to do is wait until the download reaches a certain point.
Streaming partial Netflix downloads is limited to Android
Netflix plans to bring the feature to iOS at some point in the future, but right now it’s limited to Android. Though this does include both Android smartphones and Android tablets. Netflix says that for iOS, it will start testing over the next few months. So users of Apple’s platform may be able to use the feature sometime after the Summer is over.
As for Android users, if you’re running the latest version of the app on your device then you should already be able to stream partial downloads.
This will definitely be useful for anyone who goes through regular periods of no internet connection. But it seems targeted mostly at travelers who want to watch content while on the plane.
How much content you download shouldn’t matter
How much of the content has to be downloaded before streaming isn’t made clear. But based on the explanation from Netflix it seems like you’ll be able to watch no matter how much was downloaded to the device.
So if you got through half of the download before you lost an internet connection, the ability to watch should be the same as if you only downloaded 10% of the content.
The exact version of the app you need is at least version 7.64. The most recent update brings the app up to version 7.108. So if you’re on at least 7.64 or above then you can use the new feature.