To download a movie in Disney+ on an iPhone, open the Disney+ app, select the movie, and tap the Download button below the Play button. When a device icon with a check mark appears, the movie is saved and you can play it offline from the Downloads icon. You need a Disney+ plan that includes downloads, which means Disney+ Premium or a Premium bundle.
The steps and limits in this guide follow the Disney+ Help Center article Downloads on Disney+. App layouts change between versions, so an icon may sit in a slightly different spot on your screen.
What You Need Before You Download
- A plan with downloads. Disney+ lists Disney+ Premium, the Disney+, Hulu Bundle Premium, and the Premium and Legacy versions of its Disney+, Hulu, ESPN bundles. Ad-supported plans do not include downloads.
- The Disney+ app. Downloads work in the mobile app on iPhones and iPads. They do not work in a web browser, on a computer, or on a TV-connected device.
- Free storage. A movie is a large file, so check your space first. Our guide to checking and freeing up iPhone storage shows where to look.
- A solid internet connection. Wi-Fi is the safer choice, because a movie download can use a lot of cellular data.
How to Download a Movie in Disney+ on an iPhone
- Open the Disney+ app and choose your profile if the app asks.
- Find the movie you want. You can browse the Home screen or use the search icon.
- Tap the movie to open its details page.
- Tap the Download button, a downward arrow below the Play button. The download starts right away.
- Watch the progress indicator that replaces the Download button. Tap it if you want to pause the download or remove the partial file.
- Wait for the device icon with a check mark. That icon means the whole movie is stored on your iPhone.
TV series work a little differently. Disney+ puts the Download button on the episodes page, so you pick the episodes you want instead of tapping one button for the whole show.
How to Watch a Downloaded Movie Offline
- Open the Disney+ app.
- Tap the Downloads icon. Disney+ says every title saved on the device is listed there.
- Press play on the movie. For a series, tap the series first, then press play on an episode.
To confirm the download really works offline, turn on Airplane Mode for a moment and start the movie from Downloads. If it plays, you are set. Turn Airplane Mode back off when you finish.
Downloads only play on the iPhone that downloaded them. A movie saved on your phone will not appear in Downloads on your iPad or on someone else’s phone, even with the same account.
How to Change Download Quality and Use Wi-Fi Only
Download quality controls how much space each movie takes. Change it before you download, because the setting applies to new downloads.
- In the Disney+ app, tap your profile icon.
- Tap App Settings. Your available device storage is shown at the bottom of this screen.
- Tap Download Quality. Disney+ notes that some versions label it Video Quality.
- Choose Standard, Medium or High.
| Quality | Storage used | Download speed |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | Least | Fastest |
| Medium | Less than High | Faster than High |
| High | Most | Slowest |
Disney+ also mentions a Download Over Wi-Fi Only setting in App Settings in its guide to watching offline. Turn it on if you do not want downloads to use cellular data. With it on, a download started away from Wi-Fi may wait until you reconnect. To see what your saved titles take up, read how much space Disney+ downloads use on an iPhone.
How to Delete a Downloaded Movie
Deleting a download frees up storage. It does not remove the movie from Disney+, so you can stream it or download it again later.
- Open the Disney+ app and tap the Downloads icon.
- Tap the device icon with a check mark next to the movie.
- Tap Remove Download.
To remove several titles at once, tap Edit in Downloads, select the titles, and tap the trash icon.
Disney+ Download Rules to Know
Warning: logging out of Disney+ deletes every download on that iPhone. Disney+ says you have to download the titles again after you log back in, so do not log out right before a trip.
- 30-day check-in. Downloads stay available while you are an active subscriber and your iPhone connects to the internet at least once every 30 days.
- Expiring titles. A download can stop working sooner if the movie leaves the Disney+ library.
- 10 devices. The same title can be downloaded on up to 10 supported mobile devices.
- Plan changes. Switching to an ad-supported plan or canceling removes access to your downloads.
- Not every title. Some movies cannot be downloaded at all.
Troubleshooting Disney+ Downloads on an iPhone
Disney+ covers these problems in Troubleshooting offline download issues. Start with the basics it lists: check your free storage, force close and reopen the app, restart the iPhone, update Disney+ from the App Store, then delete the title and download it again.
There is no Download button
Check your plan first. Ad-supported Disney+ plans do not show a download option. If your plan is Premium and the button is still missing, that movie is probably not available for download.
The Download button shows an error
Disney+ says the title may be temporarily unavailable, or your connection may be too weak. Move closer to your router or switch networks and try again. The error can also appear when the title is already downloaded on 10 devices.
The download stopped partway
Downloads in progress pause when the iPhone loses its connection or the signal is weak. Reconnect to Wi-Fi and open Downloads to check the progress. If you turned on Download Over Wi-Fi Only, the download will not continue on cellular data.
All my downloads disappeared
The usual causes are logging out of the app, going more than 30 days without an internet connection, or moving to a plan without downloads. Log in on a Premium plan, connect to the internet, and download the movies again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need Wi-Fi to watch a downloaded Disney+ movie?
No. Once the check mark icon appears, the movie plays from the Downloads section with no Wi-Fi or cellular data. You only need a connection to download it and to check in at least once every 30 days.
How long do Disney+ downloads last?
Disney+ says downloads remain as long as you are an active subscriber and the device goes online at least once every 30 days. A title can expire earlier if it leaves the Disney+ streaming library.
Can I download Disney+ movies on the ad-supported plan?
No. Disney+ says its ad-supported plans do not allow downloads, and changing to one of them removes Disney+ content you already downloaded.
Can I download Hulu content in Disney+?
Disney+ says some subscribers can download select Hulu content in Disney+, and that Hulu content may be limited to 25 downloads across five supported mobile devices at a time. In the Hulu app itself, downloads are part of the ad-free plan, so see how to upgrade to the no-commercials plan on Hulu if you want them there.
Can I download Disney+ movies on a Mac or a TV?
No. Disney+ says content cannot be downloaded on computers, TV-connected devices, or Windows 10 and 11 tablets. Supported devices include iPhones, iPads, Android phones and tablets, and Amazon Fire tablets.
Can I download Hamilton?
The steps are the same as for any other movie. See how to download Hamilton in Disney+ on an iPhone for a walkthrough. If you also subscribe to HBO Max, see how to download HBO Max movies on an iPhone.
Next Step
Download your movie on home Wi-Fi the night before you leave, then run the quick Airplane Mode check. If other people share your account, see how to create a new profile in the Disney+ app so everyone can keep a separate watchlist.
Matthew Burleigh has been writing tech tutorials since 2008. His writing has appeared on dozens of different websites and been read hundreds of millions of times.
After receiving his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science he spent several years working in IT management for small businesses. However, he now works full time writing content online and creating websites.
His main writing topics include iPhones, Microsoft Office, Google Apps, Android, and Photoshop, but he has also written about many other tech topics as well.