BBC iPlayer scraps offline viewing feature that MacBook and laptop owners will miss most

The BBC has announced that it is restricting offline viewing on BBC iPlayer from March. However, only certain devices will be affected.

That's because it is ditching the ability to download TV shows and films on PC and Mac through their respective apps. Mobile devices, such as iPhone and Android handsets, will be unaffected.

The Beeb claims that this is to save costs as the feature is only used by a "low number of people".

"This does not affect downloads on the BBC iPlayer mobile or tablet apps and viewers can continue to stream programmes on BBC iPlayer on their PCs and Mac," said a spokesperson to the corporation's website.

PC and Mac owners may have already noticed that the dedicated BBC iPlayer Downloads app is, ironically, no longer available to download from respective app stores.

New downloads will then end on 11 March 2024, although viewers will still be able to watch previously downloaded content until April.

Then, on 8 April, the BBC iPlayer Downloads app will no longer work or be supported. You are advised to uninstall it from this date.

While many might not have used the feature in the past, those who regularly travel may have replied on the service to watch BBC TV shows on their MacBooks or laptops.

Affected users will still be able to stream BBC iPlayer programming on their computers by using a web browser, but only when they have an internet connection – which isn't likely when you're on a plane, for example.

As the BBC itself reports, one former employee has posted his bemusement on X (formerly Twitter): "This strikes me as a very bad move. Why would you want to make it harder to watch your programmes?"