- Published on
- Updated on
7 ways to download and watch movies on a plane offline - 2022
- Authors
Getting ready to travel and don't know what to bring on the plane to kill time? In such situations, of course, a cell phone comes in handy. You can listen to music, look at photos over several years. All this is fine, but what if you want to watch a movie? In addition, the timing is ideal: 1, 5 - 2 hours, this is just the average duration of the flight.
There are several options for copying a movie to your phone to watch it offline (ie without having the Internet) on the airplane. We will consider them, and you choose your preferred option.
Table of Contents
1. Download movies from Netflix and save to phones in advance
For sure, the fastest and quality-guaranteed method to save movies offline for playing on plane is to download them in advance and preserve them to your phones. If you need to download Netflix movies, MovPilot Netflix Video Downloader will provide you with the advanced movie download functionality to download them to lossless MP4/MKV with multi-language subtitles, as well as audio reserved in a hassle-free way. Most importantly, the provided video quality will reach 1080p in MP4/MKV formats. The following guide will briefly show you how it works:
STEP 1. Install MovPilot Netflix Video Downloader and open the software to log in to your Netflix account.
STEP 2. Directly search for the movies you desire to download to play offline while on plane with the built-in search function.
STEP 3. Before downloading, you are able to hit the gear icon on the upper-right corner to adjust some output settings such as format, language, codec, etc.
STEP 4. Then simply by tapping the download icon provided, and you are able to save the Netflix movies offline.
STEP 5. Now, transfer the downloaded Netflix movies to phones for preserving to enjoy offline on phone whenever you need!
2. Saving Amazon Prime movies off the app
To access free Amazon Prime movies playback offline in more flexible ways like when you are on a plane, it would be better to save them off Amazon app to get rid of the streaming limitations in advance. MovPilot Amazon Prime Video Downloader provides the easy-to-grasp functionality, with the ability to download movies from Amazon Prime to mainstream MP4, MKV formats at up to HD 1080p quality. Meanwhile, it is able to preserve the original audio quality and optional languages, enabling you to have the same streaming experience after downloading and transferring them to your phone.
Now, grasp the way to download Amazon Prime movies with MovPilot Amazon Prime Video Downloader:
STEP 1. Launch the software and log in your Amazon Prime video from the pop-up login window.
STEP 2. While accessing the main interface, directly search for the movies you desire to save for playing on the plane.
STEP 3. Once you find the movies you need to download, tap the setting icon to customize its format, codec, and languages before processing the download.
STEP 4. Simply hit the download icon now, then the Amazon Prime movies will immediately be saved offline.
STEP 5. Use USB cable or iTunes to sync the downloaded movies to Android or iPhone to enjoy the offline playback while you are on plane!
3. Copying film to Gallery, sd card or device memory
The easiest option. If you have AVI, MPG, MP4, etc. movies in your media library, copy the files to the device memory and watch the movie through any player.
Instructions:
- Connect your phone to your PC or laptop.
- Through a file manager, copy the file to your device, for example, to the DCIM or Downloads folder.
- After copying, safely disconnect the cable (making sure the movie is copied).
- Option: Install VLC video player for a comfortable viewing of supported file formats.
- Open the movie via Gallery or Android file manager.
This way, you will be able to watch any movie by switching to "On Airplane" mode. You won't need wi-fi or mobile Internet.
4. Viewing saved videos on Youtube
Although it's hard to find feature film in the public domain on Youtube, it's a great platform for viewing video content. This can include documentaries, instructional videos, and interviews.
To watch YouTube on an airplane, you need a Premium subscription. It costs about $10 a month. Once you pay, you'll be able to save videos for offline viewing. Let's figure out how it works.
- Download Youtube app if it's not already installed on your Android.
- Make sure you are logged into your account with a Premium subscription (the sign is displayed near the logo).
- Open the video you want to watch on the plane.
- Select the Download option from the menu.
- Repeat the process for the other videos you plan to watch.
- To watch movies on a plane, go to Saved (Downloaded content) and play the video without the Internet.
Disadvantages of the method of downloading a movie:
- This method will not work on the free version of the Youtube app,
- Also, you will not be able to watch videos on your laptop rather than on your phone.
Video instructions
5. Watching movies through the app
If you have a subscription to online movie theaters, be sure to check if there is no option to download movies through the mobile app. For example, Netflix app offers such a service for a long time.
True, it is not possible to save to your device and watch on the flight any film that interests you. This is due to the various requirements of copyright holders. So, here's how to prepare a film for viewing on a plane, or simply offline:
- Download Netflix app on your mobile device.
- Go to the page with the movie or other video.
- Find the Download button and tap on it. If there is no such option, it means the movie is not available for downloading.
- Go to the download section: all the downloaded movies will be collected in this tab, and you can watch them calmly and comfortably on the plane.
This method of offline viewing is convenient and works with most online services that take care of their customers. This includes Amazon Prime, and Apple TV.
Not all online cinemas can offer airplane mode, but things change over time for the better for the end user.
6. Amazon Prime Video app
Have a subscription to Amazon Prime Video? Great! Using the mobile app, you'll be able to download a movie to your device and watch it on plane. There's also a Mac and Windows version of the app, so offline content will also be available via your laptop.
How to watch a movie on an airplane through the Amazon Video app:
- Subscribe to Amazon Prime.
- Download the Amazon Prime Video app and launch it.
- Log into your Amazon account from the device where you plan to watch movies.
- Select the movie you want to download or an individual episode of the show.
- Select the video quality - low, medium, or high.
- Tap the Download button and wait for the download to complete.
- Go to the Downloads section of the app.
- Tap the play button.
Note that not all movies are available for for flight or / and offline viewing. Also, some movies are not available in various countries.
7. Saving movies via Google Play
This method of watching on a plane is suitable for Android and iOS devices (iPad, iPhone, respectively). Google Play allows its subscribers to save videos from one account on up to 5 different devices.
At the same time, this rule does not apply to rented videos, and you can watch offline videos on just one device. However, if you delete a video on one device, you can freely download it on another device.
To download a video for viewing on an airplane, you can do the following:
- Connect your device to the Internet.
- Go to your Google account through the Google Play Movies & TV app or at the link. Open the Library section.
- Find the movie you want to watch offline.
- Tap the Download button and wait for the process to finish.
- Being offline, open Google Play Movies & TV and start watching the movie.

Ilia is a professional writer. He has expert knowledge in GPS and cartography with 15 years of experience. Additionally, Ilia has extensive experience in data recovery on PC and mobile. He started his career as a journalist by reviewing PC and mobile apps. His current responsibilities are to keep track of users' questions on MGT and answer them.