Download On Netflix From Mac
Download Netflix on Windows phones or tablets. Using Netflix on Computers. Netflix can be accessed from your internet browser by visiting www.netflix.com and signing in or creating a new account. If you have a Windows 8 or Windows 10 computer, you can also download the Netflix app for Windows. Using Netflix on Smart TVs, Streaming Media Players. May 03, 2019. May 20, 2020.
Feb 02, 2018. Jul 23, 2020. Jun 26, 2020. Dec 18, 2019.
Netflix gives you the option to download shows on their Windows app, as well as Android and iOS, but there is no such thing for Mac users. For a long time now, I was looking for a way to download my favorite Netflix shows on a Mac, and there wasn’t any working solution. Until today.
So, I recently found out a way to download Netflix videos on Mac. And no, we are not talking about recording Mac’s screen. Instead, we’ll use an app called Parallels, which lets you run Windows on your Mac. Yes, you can also run Windows on the Mac with Boot Camp but that will require you to restart your Mac every time you need to switch to Windows and not to mention the complicated setup. Parallels, on the other hand, is an optimized virtual machine, so it runs Windows within macOS. The setup is simple and would take around 15 minutes. And it even works flawlessly even with a VPN, so you can watch geo-restricted shows like the office the US without any glitch. And if that’s not enough, it even lets you watch 4k content on your Mac. Sounds awesome. Let’s see how you go about it.
Download Netflix Movies on Mac
Step 1: Install Parallels on a Mac
Go to www.parallels.com and download Parallels Desktop application for your computer. Although the single license costs $80, there is a 14 days trial with full access to the software.
Within the trial period, you won’t be bugged with any watermarks or asked for your credit card information. So, it makes sense to use this if you are going for a vacation where the internet might be expensive or non-existent.
If you like the software then you can purchase a license after trial runs its course.
Once you download Parallels’s dmg file, install it on your Mac, like you install any other software.
My favorite thing about Parallels is that the installation is extremely simple. Simply, run the software, and it’ll take care of everything, from installing Windows to configuring it. In fact, I ran the installer and went for a walk. Once I came back, Windows was ready to go. I was surprised, I didn’t have to click even a single button.
You may get a popup that would read System Extension Blocked, it means your macOS requires an exception in Security Preferences for this application. Click the button to open the Settings page and grant the permissions.
You just have to click a single button to grant the exception, click ‘Allow’ to begin the setup process. It would also prompt you to enter the macOS account credentials and authenticate the transaction before granting the exception.
It automatically fetches the Windows copy from the Windows server so you don’t have to download the Windows ISO. Parallels download an evaluation copy of Windows though. It would take a few minutes to install though as the package is around 5GB.
After downloading the setup files, Parallels would automatically begin the installation process and you would be greeted with the installation screen. If you’ve never used windows, this screen means you’re already there and it would take a couple of more minutes to finalize the settings.
After finishing the installation, you will be able to use your Windows right out of the box. No need to install any drivers or anything. It’s that simple.
After the installation is finished, Parallels will ask you to create a free account. To save some time, you can log in with your Google account and you’re up and going.
And there you go, Windows on a Mac. Cool. The Windows desktop replicates Mac’s desktop to Windows and adds all the files on the Windows desktop too which is cool. I can access my documents easily without having to manually copy the contents from macOS to the simulated Windows.
Download On Netflix From Macbook
Step 2: Install the Netflix app
Next up, we need to download the Netflix app on Windows, so, open the Windows Store, search for Netflix, click ‘Get’ and there you go. You can even install Netflix without signing in to a Microsoft account. Good job Microsoft.
Now, once you have the Netflix app, log in to the Netflix app with your credentials. One thing I noticed while I was setting up the Netflix account is the overall smoothness, I mean it’s unreal. It works even better than some Windows computers out there.
I tested this on the least powerful 2015, 128 GB MacBook Air. If this work on this MacBook, it’ll work on most Macs out there.
After logging in to Netflix, let’s go ahead and download something to test if it actually works. Not everything is available to download though, to find the shows, available for download, go to the ‘Available for Download’ section in the menu. If the title you want to download from Netflix isn’t available for download, then you got no other option than to capture the screen as you watch it.
Once you find the title you want to download from the available catalog and click the Download button to start the download.
You will then see a blue progress bar along the bottom of the app. Once the download finishes, it would show up in the download library of the Netflix app. You can find your downloaded shows by going to the menu and tapping My Downloads. Simply press play and start watching your videos.
The videos are downloaded in your Macbook storage, so make sure you have enough memory.
You can even play videos with the Internet off. You can try this by turning off the WiFi on your mac. I watched the entire episode on the Airplane mode to test the app and it worked just fine.
Read: Remove Shows From Continue Watching on Netflix App (Android iOS)
The Netflix app retains all the features even though being simulated on a sandbox, including the smart downloads, which will automatically delete an episode once you’ve watched and downloaded the next one when you are connected to the Internet.
To enable the smart download or to download videos in higher video quality, go to the menu and scroll down to Downloads. Under Downloads, tap Video Quality and choose the quality that works for you.
It remembers how far along you’ve watched the episode and resumes even after you restart the Parallels’ session on the mac. It’s safe to say the method is pretty dope at this point.
Step 3: Download Geoblocked content
We have a fully functional Netflix app that stores all the downloaded files safely in the system. While I don’t have a shortage of titles, there are a few strays which are not available in my country. You can use a VPN to circumvent the geo-restrictions to access the content from around the world.
Turn on your VPN that supports Netflix unblock, (we recommend Nord VPN or Smart DNS Proxy VPN) and connect to a location where the content might not be blocked. I usually look for titles like The Office as it isn’t available in my country. Just search for the title and it should show up in the search results on the Netflix app.
If by any chance the app doesn’t pull up the titles, it could be because of the Cache issue. Restarting the Netflix app within the Windows won’t solve this problem, you would have to close the Parallels app on your mac and restart the sandbox.
After booting the Windows up, open the Netflix app again, try searching for the title again and it should pop in the results now.
Step 4: Play Netflix in 4K on a Mac
The party is still not over, there is one final thing. It can play Netflix 4k content on the Mac. Until now, you could only do this on Windows. We’re still playing the content on Windows but it’s on a Mac now. You would need a Macbook or a TV which supports 4K screen. Also, upgrade your Netflix account to the one which has 4K playback options.
Read: How to Watch Netflix in 1080p on Chrome and FireFox
I tested this on a few Macs lying around including a MacBook Pro and an iMac, it works on every device. You can even watch 4K content on Edge browser but Safari and Chrome simply don’t play Netflix content in 4K so there’s that.
Read: 10 Chrome Extensions to Supercharge Your Netflix Experience
Closing Words
This is how to download Netflix movies on Mac. I’ve been using the setup for the past three days and it works flawlessly. There aren’t any watermarks on the simulated Windows and the software doesn’t nag you to upgrade to premium. I’ll update the results if there are any updates with this method. As of now, I’ve to go and pack my bags.
Read: How To Watch Netflix Together With Remote Friend (Android iOS)
Watching Netflix on PC has always been a problematic affair. Yes, you can watch it in any browser but, you won’t get the top-notch user experience of a native Netflix app. Also, during browser viewing, you can face multiple issues like Netflix stopped working and no sound output. That’s why we are here with this article to address all the issues regarding Netflix for Mac & Windows. This user guide will help you to overcome all the barriers and guide you to install the official Netflix app for Windows as well as help you to view Netflix from your Mac PC seamlessly.
So without wasting another minute, let’s check out our guide now. Make sure you adhere to all the steps which are dedicated to your type of PC. Here you go!
Contents
- 1 Is Netflix App for Mac & Windows Available?
- 1.1 How to Watch Netflix on Mac?
- 1.3 How to Fix Netflix Not Working on Mac?
- 1.4 Netflix for Mac Troubleshooters
- 1.5 How to Watch Netflix on Windows?
- 1.8 Netflix Viewing in HDR
Is Netflix App for Mac & Windows Available?
The short answer is NO for Mac Users. Netflix is still reluctant to make a standalone app for Mac. A couple of years ago, when Netflix came out with an official app for Windows 10, Mac users got their hopes up of having a Netflix app on the macOS platform sooner or later. Since then, Netflix officials have cited a couple of times that building a MacOS specific Netflix viewing platform is in their to-do list currently.
However, it’s not an impossible task to view the awesome shows of Netflix in your Macbook. You might not get the well-optimized and enhanced experience of a native Netflix app but, with the help of internet browsers, you can still access your Netflix from your Macbook.
How to Watch Netflix on Mac?
You can access Netflix from your Mac computer with the help of Mac’s indigenous browser Safari. Follow these three simple steps to watch Netflix in your Mac PC
Step 1: Open Safari and go to netflix.com
Step 2: Press Sign In option if you already have a running Netflix account
Step 3: Put your Netflix email id and password and click on Sign In
However, to run Netflix smoothly on macOS, there are some minimum requirement criteria your PC must possess.
System Requirements
To view Netflix, you need to use either HTML5 player or Silverlight plug-ins. Both of them require different specifications to run effortlessly. Here are the complete PC requirements for different scenarios.
HTML5: Your PC needs to have MacOS 10.10 or later version to run Netflix. But if you wish to stream at 1080P, your PC should run on macOS 10.10.3 or later. And, to view at 4K, you need to have Intel 7th gen core CPU as well as a 4K capable display. On top of that, an HDCP 2.2 capable connection is also required.
Silverlight 4: Here, you need to have MacOS 10.4.11 or later, Safari 3-11 or later, and Intel Core 2 Duo 1.83 GHz or higher processors with at least 512 GB RAM.
Silverlight 5: This advanced version of Silverlight requires a more capable MacOS than its predecessor. It needs MacOS 10.5.7 or later, Safari 4-11 or later, and Intel Core 2 Duo 1.83 GHz or higher processors with at least 512 GB RAM.
Now you may ask how to install the Silverlight plug-in in your Macbook. Here’s how.
Silverlight Installation Guide
Follow the below process to get Silverlight on your Mac.
Step 1: Open Netflix from your PC and select a title to play
Step 2: When a dialogue box containing Silverlight plug-in appears, press Install Now
Step 3: Go to Safari’s download page and double-click on the recently downloaded Silverlight.dmg file
Step 4: Right-click on Silverlight.pkg file and press Save File on the pop-up box.
Step 5: A prompt quoting “Silverlight.pkg is not from the Mac App Store. Are you sure you want to open it?” will appear. Press Open on it
Step 6: Follow the upcoming prompts to complete the installation process
As you can see, streaming Netflix for Mac & Windows isn’t a tough process to replicate. You just need to follow some easy steps, and you’ll be able to enjoy the breathtaking video content of Netflix.
However, we’ve seen users complaining about their Netflix experience in Safari. This is mainly due to some common issues. Netflix, through browsers, are not as reliable as an official Netflix app.
How to Fix Netflix Not Working on Mac?
There’s no other thing more frustrating than finding Netflix having trouble loading in your Macbook. Netflix streaming problems on Mac are widespread. We’ve prepared a complete troubleshooting guide for all of the issues you might face during Netflix Mac access. But before that, Let’s take a look at the most common issues you might encounter on your Macbook as well as on your Windows PC.
Common Issues in Netflix for Mac & Windows
These following issues are quite common and can be seen in both Mac and Windows browsers while accessing Netflix.
- Cache problems
- Plugin failure issue
- Unexpected error message pop-up
- Black screen with no sign of player controls
- Monitor output issue
- Mysterious n8010, n8151, and 2015 error codes
- Issues caused by adware
If you’re a pre-2011 Mac owner and you updated the browser to Safari 12, then you might face a plug-in issue. The 2018 update, Safari 12, doesn’t support Silverline plug-ins, which pre 2011 Macs need to play Netflix.
These are the issues you might face. Now let’s move on to the solution part.
Netflix for Mac Troubleshooters
We are going to explain the top three fixes for Netflix viewing issues in Mac. If you apply these tricks, your viewing experience will greatly improve.
Use HTML5 to View Netflix Contents
Silverlight plugins have lots of issues hampering user experience. The most famous one occurs for Macs made before 2011. To eliminate those issues, you just need to shift to HTML5 Player from Silverlight.
Netflix introduced the HTML5 player in 2014. The best thing about the HTML5 player is, it can play content in 1080P.
Playing my microsoft games on mac. To ensure you’re viewing Netflix with the help of an HTML5 player, ensure the following.
Newer Mac: Upgrade your PC to the latest version of macOS. If your PC is running above Mac 10.10 Yosemite or above, then Safari automatically streams in HTML5.
Older Mac: If you’re using an older Macbook, you have to use Google Chrome to access HTML5 that, too, after forcing Chrome to play on HTML5. Open Netflix in Chrome and navigate to Netflix Playback Setting. Then select “Prefer HTML5 instead of Silverlight” option.
Clear Browser Cookies for Netflix
When your browser cookies get corrupted or outdated, you might face a couple of problems streaming Netflix. You need to clear cookies in this scenario. Thanks to Netflix, this is pretty easy to fix, however.
Step 1: Open netflix.com/clearcookies from your browser
Step 2: Netflix automatically clears out all the existing cookies
Step 3: Log in to your Netflix account to continue streaming
Use Netflix Streaming Devices
If you’re frequently having issues while opening Netflix in your Mac PC and want to get rid of these issues once and for all, then you should buy a streaming device that supports the Netflix app. Streaming devices have the ability to stream Netflix without a glitch.
Nowadays, we have multiple attractive options in streaming devices. Buy one of your choices and plug it into the USB port of your Mac, and that it. Not only these modern-day devices are much more efficient at accessing Netflix, but they can also stream other popular video streaming platforms like Amazon Prime, Disney+, ESPN, HBO Now, and Hulu.
We hope now you got it right how to download and run Netflix for Mac & Windows. Now let’s move onto helping our viewer with Windows PC.
How to Watch Netflix on Windows?
Unlike Mac, you have a proper app to access Netflix in Windows. This official app is only available in Windows 8 or later versions. If you’re using Windows 7 or any earlier version of Windows, you can stream Netflix from a browser, just like you do on a Mac. Setting up the Netflix app in your Windows PC is a fairly simple process. Just follow our guide thoroughly, and you will be good to go.
Netflix for Windows App Set-Up Procedures
Netflix is available in Microsoft Store for Windows 8, 8.1, and 10 users. Before accessing it in the Microsoft store, make sure you have signed into the store with your valid Microsoft login details. Then follow these steps.
Step 1: From the Start Menu, go to Microsoft store
Step 2: Navigate to the Search option
Step 3: Type Netflix on Search Box and press Search
Step 4: Select Netflix app from the result page
Step 5: Press Get, situated on the right side of your screen /jumi-controller-mac-download-free.html.
Step 6: After the installation process completes, go to Search Menu and search for Netflix
Step 7: After finding it, double click on the app
Step 8: Go to Sign In page and enter your Netflix credentials carefully
Netflix Download For Macbook
Step 9: Upon entering your login details, press Sign In
This whole process of getting Netflix is as convenient as getting an app on your smartphone. It doesn’t require any application file download and later runs it as administrator. You just need to press the Install button, and the app automatically gets installed.
Although the task of streaming Netflix isn’t as easy for older Microsoft OS users. They can’t get their hands onto the Netflix app. Here is a brief discussion about streaming Netflix in old Windows OS.
Netflix for Windows 7 or Earlier
As the Microsoft store doesn’t exist in Windows 7 or earlier Windows versions, you can not get the official Netflix app. You need to use your browsers to access Netflix. Here’s the whole process in simple steps.
Step 1: Open a Browser (preferably Google Chrome) on your PC
Step 2: Go to address bar and put www.netflix.com before pressing Enter
Step 3: After Netflix opens, Sign In with your credentials to stream Netflix on your PC
This is as simple as it sounds. However, your experience on a web browser will not be as great as the Netflix app. Still, many people binge-watch their favorite shows on a browser. So, this is a workable option to consider if you can get upgraded to Windows 8 or later.
To have an effortless viewing, you should use the HTML5 player. Otherwise, you might face some issues. HTML5 is supported on Chrome V68 or later, and Opera V55 or later in Windows 7. However, you can only stream up to 720P in your browser.
Netflix Viewing in Ultra HD
Netflix can be viewed in Ultra HD mode from your Windows PC if your PC can match with the following list of criteria.
- Windows 10 OS with latest updates installed
- Netflix app or Microsoft Edge installed
- A 4K 60Hz display and an HDCP 2.2 connection (only for desktops)
- A 7th gen Intel core CPU or newer with matching NVIDIA GPU
- A Netflix monthly plan that offers Ultra HD viewing
- A steady network connection with at least 25 megabits per second speed
- Quality of streaming set to High or Auto
If you can meet these requirements, you can watch Ultra HD contents on your Windows PC.
Netflix Viewing in HDR
HDR streaming is also available on Netflix. Whether you can access it or not depends on your Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) and your PC’s configuration. Here’s what you need.
For Intel GPU:
- Windows 10 Creator update (v 1709)
- At least 7th gen Intel CPU
- 22.XX.XX series Graphics Driver, Version 4708 or better
For Nvidia GPU:
- Windows 10 Creator update (v 1709)
- 1080, 1070, 1060, and 1050 cards with a minimum of 3GB Video RAM
- 387.68 (23.21.13.8768) Graphics Driver or higher
These are the requirements for the HDR playback of Netflix on your PC. Also, your device should be enabled for HDR viewing by the manufacturing company, and it should support PlayReady 3.0 or higher.
Final Thoughts
There goes all the detailed discussion regarding Netflix for Mac & Windows. Keeping in mind about its growing popularity, we sincerely hope that Netflix will listen to its consumers and soon develop a MacOS specific app. Till then, Mac users have only two choices left. Watch it on Safari or change your Mac PC with the latest Windows PC that supports the Netflix app.
Download On Netflix From Mac Osx
If you have any questions in your mind, comment it down in the comment box. We wholeheartedly thank you for staying with us this far into the article. Keep following us for more informative blogs coming shortly.