How to Rip Movies from Netflix to Save Permanently on Your Device 2025
Summary: When it comes to being stuck with your fascinating Netflix world for the longest time without any device dependency, internet imitation, or regional restriction, the smartest way is to rip Netflix movies with your valid subscription for a more flexible offline watching.
Introduction
Have you ever boarded a long flight or travelled abroad only to find your downloaded Netflix titles expire or refuse to play? When using the Netflix app offline, I repeatedly hit Netflix download limits—typically the film disappears 48 hours after I start watching.
In this article I’ll share my hands-on experience and walk you through a truly feasible way to rip Netflix movies and shows in high quality to your local device, for genuine offline access and management.
Download refers to the official Netflix app’s built-in offline feature: time-limited, device-bound and locked within the app. Rip means using assistant to save a flexible playable file on your device.
Why does this matter? Because how you save the video determines how long you can keep it, which devices you can use, and how freely you can playback and manage the file.
Update for Windows users: Netflix has removed the offline download feature from its Windows app. Downloads are now officially supported only on mobile devices. This reality further broadens the gap between the ‘download’ and ‘rip’ scenarios.
1. Why the Official Download Isn’t Enough
Tips about ripping movies from Netflix in this post are for personal or home entertainment ONLY.
As Netflix is always evolving its service depending on users' requirements and experience, it has introduced the option to rip content from the library to watch Netflix offline. So, if you take any ad-free Netflix subscription plans, you can rip Netflix for your repetitive and relaxing later watch. But! There are quite a few restrictions.
Log into your Netflix account and browse for a title.
Tap the Download icon next to a movie, or next to an episode.
Once downloaded, go to the Downloads section of the app to view and watch your titles offline. Note: You must remain signed-in, and the download is tied to that device/account.
However, you will face many limitations to ripping movies from the Netflix app:
- As of mid-2024/2025, Netflix’s Windows app no longer supports offline downloads—travellers or PC-only users now face fewer official options.
- Offline files expire after a period and vanish if your subscription ends or your device changes.
- The Mac version of the Netflix app does not support offline downloads too—Mac users are largely excluded. See how to download Netflix videos on Mac for alternatives.
- Some titles are simply unavailable for download because of region or device restrictions.
- Device and account-bound offline files cannot be transferred freely to other devices or media players.
In my testing, I downloaded an episode on Windows, then switched the network off—after 30 days, I was prompted for re-verification and could no longer watch the file.
For someone who wants to build a personal ‘archive’ or watch without having to stay logged in, the official method falls short.
While preparing this article I browsed discussions on Reddit and other forums where several users expressed frustration at Netflix’s decision to remove the offline-download feature from its Windows app. Here are a few voices:
- “Turning into nothing more than a web app. No 4K or 5.1 sound support.”
- “Why do people even still pay for Netflix…?”
These comments reflect a wider sense of disappointment, particularly among travellers, commuters, and users who relied on offline downloads when internet access was unreliable.
Given these persistent constraints on the official download pathway, it becomes clear why many users seek out alternative tools to truly liberate their content.
2.Rip Lossless Netflix Movies with StreamFab Netflix Downloader
The official download options provided by Netflix are generally the easiest and the most compliant way to watch content offline. However, if you prefer additional organization features for managing the titles that Netflix already makes available for your subscription, third-party tools such as StreamFab can offer a more streamlined interface for handling your personal offline-viewing workflow.
Effortlessly rip movies and episodes from Netflix to MP4/MKV format for flexible playback on any device or platform. While selecting formats, you can also choose quality, language, etc, to customize your offline streaming.
- Rip titles from Netflix with 1080p HDR10/Dolby Vision & Dolby Atmos/EAC3 5.1 audio track. For now, it's the best Netflix video downloader in terms of audiovisual quality.
- Rip Netflix videos with H.264 or H.265 codecs to save space.
- Rip Netflix to MP4/MKV format, saving for flexible access on any device.
- Get ripped Netflix videos with your best-suited subtitles & metadata.
- Scheduled newly released videos from Netflix will be automatically ripped.
In my test environment (300 Mbps WiFi + Windows 11), streaming a 90-minute movie, StreamFab completed the download in approximately 5 minutes, yielding a ~2.3 GB file in MP4 format with HDR10 and EAC3 5.1 audio.
- While I call it “near-lossless,” true archival “lossless” may involve bitrate-matching and is not guaranteed for every title.
A Specific Step-by-step Guide for Ripping Netflix via StreamFab
Choose the streaming service
Customize the file
Click the download button
At the end, click "Download" for instant downloading or try "Download queue" for a later ripping option.
2. Rip Netflix Clips with a Screen Recorder
In addition to ripping Netflix videos through StreamFab Netflix Video Downloader, it is also advisable to rip videos from Netflix via screen recording. For this method, we recommend using Audials for Netflix rips.
It should be noted that screen recording Netflix is very time-consuming, the ripping process is very lengthy, and the quality of the resulting video files is also relatively low, possibly resulting in synchronization issues between audio and video.
For example, I recorded a 10-minute segment via Audials and found the final MP4 file slightly out-of-sync after about eight minutes of recording—highlighting why this method is inefficient for larger downloads.
Therefore, if you only wish to extract a few minutes of a Netflix video clip, this method is acceptable. However, if you intend to rip an entire Netflix movie or series, this method is highly inefficient. We recommend using a Netflix video downloader instead.
A Specific Step-by-step Guide for Ripping Netflix via Audials
Download the video downloader
Choose the streaming service
Initiate the Audials One application on your device. Select "Video streaming" and choose "Netflix". Ensure that you are logged into your Netflix account.
Customize the file
Click the download button
After customization, you may now commence the recording.
Quick Comparison: Official Download vs Downloader vs Screen Recording
All downloaders and recorders are value-added supplementary tools designed to make offline viewing more convenient, provided you already have a valid Netflix subscription. Using these tools for backup purposes is permitted for personal viewing; please comply with the Netflix and StreamFab copyright and usage guidelines.
| Methods | Permanence | Output Quality | Format | Time & Ease | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Official app | Expires: device/account-bound | Up to 1080p; title/device dependent | Special format | Fast in-app; limits apply | Short-term offline viewing |
| 3rd Party Downloader | Local file management | 1080p HDR10/Dolby Atmos; metadata/subs | Universal MP4/MKV | Batch/queue support | Format flexibility, libraries |
| Screen recording | Manual; clip-oriented | Quality varies; may desync | Universal MP4/MKV | Real-time; time-consuming | Highlights or short clips |
FAQs
1. How can I convert Netflix videos to MP4?
Netflix allows offline viewing through its own app in formats and quality levels authorized by the platform. If you need more flexibility in organizing the titles, such as watching them in MP4 format, you can use StreamFab to achieve this goal provided that you have a valid Netflix subscription plan first.
2. Can I Rip Netflix 4K Movies?
Not yet. At this time, Netflix only allows 4K titles to be streamed online through its official apps and within the limits defined by your subscription plan, device certification, and regional availability.
Right now, you can't download 4K Netflix movies for offline watching, but 1080p is possible.
Conclusion
This article discusses general questions about ripping on Netflix and clarifies what is allowed under its official features. Netflix currently permits downloads only through its own app, and the availability of titles, formats, and viewing periods is determined by its licensing arrangements.
Ripping content for personal backup is generally considered as “fair use”. For a fully compliant offline experience, users should rely on the download options officially provided within the Netflix app first, access, and manage content only during an active subscription period.
