Why Does Hulu Keep Deleting My Downloads?

No Wi-Fi? No problem! Hulu allows you to download shows for future viewing. This makes it a great option for traveling, especially if you have little ones that need to be entertained 24/7. Or if you simply don’t want to miss any of your favorite Hulu shows. But there’s a common issue reported by many Hulu subscribers… why are your downloads disappearing?

If you log out of your Hulu account, more often than not, Hulu will delete your downloads. Don’t take it personally. It happens to everyone. But that doesn’t make it any less annoying.

But you don’t have to lose all of your downloads! To avoid this inconvenience and annoyance, continue reading below!

Any Other Reasons Why My Downloads Disappear?

Don’t take it too personally, Hulu deletes everyone’s downloads when they log out. It’s not just you. But there are also a couple of other reasons why your Hulu downloads have gone missing.

As previously stated, logging out is the most common reason the downloads vanished. Since the files are not directly store onto your device, they cannot be accessed without the user being logged in. Another very common reason the downloads are not there could be a connection interruption during the initial download.

One more thing that people do not always think about is that you must watch your downloaded show on the device it was downloaded to. For example, if you download on your phone, you cannot simply go to your iPad and assume it will be there.

A point that may get overlooked with your downloads is the plan you are on. Sometimes, people change plans for any various reasons and forget that their new plan may not include streaming. You must always remember that unless you have one of the ad-free plans from Hulu, you are not able to download from them.

All the information given here is meant to give you a complete overview of how Hulu has structured its downloads. If you know the limitations and the rules, there is much less likely that you will experience the disappearance of your shows.

What Can I Download from Hulu?

Hulu doesn’t have all programming available for download.

You cannot download every single file in the Hulu library. The easiest way to find out what you can download is to search for ‘Downloadable” movies and shows. From there, all you need to do is click the small icon that looks like a downward pointed arrow, and it will be added to your library.

Hulu does not specify how many choices you have when it comes to downloading. They only call it “tons of shows and movies.” Not super specific, but you can trust that there are a substantial number of choices available.

Can I Have Any Plan and Download?

Downloading is a coveted feature that isn’t just available to anyone with Hulu.

If you are looking to download, you need one of the ad-free options that Hulu has available. You can choose from the ad-free, streaming-only option or the ad-free streaming with live TV option. The ladder will set you back $69.99 a month as of March 2022.

The lowest price plan that gives you the option to download is $12.99 per month and has a fairly extensive library for the price. It does not contain all of the shows that are available on the live TV tier and does have some limited ads either before or after the show.

The add-on services that are available have no bearing on the ability to download, also.

Are There Limits to My Downloads?

With the power of downloading comes limits!

You can have a maximum of 25 total downloads spread over 5 total devices. This is not to be confused with the entire point of this article because if you get to your limit, Hulu will notify you to delete some to clear up space.

Another thing to remember is that your downloads will stay in your library for 30 days. Furthermore, once you start watching your download, you only have 48 hours before it gets deleted from your library. You do have the option to renew it if you did not get enough the first time. These points may seem restrictive, but the point is to make sure you always have space available for new downloads.

What Do I Need to Download from Hulu?

While it would be great to download to your gigantic smart TV, none of them have the necessary hardware to make it possible.

In order to download from Hulu, you must have:

1. Newer iPhones or iPads
2. Newer Android phones or tablets
3. Newer Amazon Fire tablets

These devices have the necessary hard drives and computing power to download from Hulu.

Final Thoughts

Although there are some caveats, Hulu does offer one of the most comprehensive streaming services available. Furthermore, if you learn all of the rules that Hulu has put into place with their downloads, you are much less likely to experience losing any of your shows or movies before you are ready to.