The BBC is discontinuing its app that allowed users to download iPlayer shows to their computers. The app ceased allowing downloads on 2 February and will be completely removed on 11 March. However, existing downloads can still be watched until 8 April.
This decision, announced on the iPlayer help page, means that viewers can no longer download shows from iPlayer to watch offline on their computers. Many frustrated users took to social media to express their disappointment and surprise. For instance, Steve Gerrard, on X (formerly Twitter), described it as “terrible news” and noted the inconvenience, especially when there’s no Wi-Fi available.
Some viewers also raised concerns that this move discriminates against those who primarily use PCs rather than phones and tablets.
The BBC introduced the current Downloads App in 2013, but it appears that the usage wasn’t sufficient to justify its continuation. Instead, the focus will now be on the iPlayer apps for phones and tablets, which will remain unaffected. Users can still access these apps as usual for Amazon Fire, Android, and iOS/iPadOS devices.
To download an episode using the iPlayer app, users simply need to tap “Download” below the episode. The downloaded content can then be watched for as long as it remains available on the BBC iPlayer website or app. The expiry date and remaining time are displayed under the episode description. Additionally, users have the option to sort their downloads using the “Expiring Soon” feature, while the “Series Record” feature allows for automatic downloading of new episodes of a program.
