Big on traveling but still want to enjoy Netflix content like usual? Your Netflix account has features that can help you make the best out of your trips, allowing you to enjoy content on the go as you do at home.

You can travel to other countries or continents temporarily and still enjoy Netflix using the same account, albeit with some content-related changes that might actually help you discover content you don’t get in your location. Here’s all you need to know.

A laptop and car with the text ‘Travel Smarter With How-To Geek’ alongside.

The best part about a Netflix subscription, beyond the library of content you can access, is theability to downloadyour favorite shows and movies for offline viewing. When I travel on long trips, I like to download content in advance when I have access to my home Wi-Fi network so I can watch Netflix even in low-connectivity areas.

You can only download Netflix content on the mobile app. To do so, click on any title of your choice and tap the “Download” button under the title. You can download individual episodes of a show by tapping the download button next to each episode’s name, or download a season at a time.

Downloading content on Netflix’s mobile app.

Netflix also offersSmart Downloads, which enables the streaming platform to automatically download titles and episodes for you, based on your viewing history. To enable this, go to your mobile app and click “My Netflix” in the bottom right corner. Tap the three-bar menu > App Settings > Smart Downloads.

Here, you can enable “Download Next Episode,” which makes the next episode of a show you’ve already downloaded available, and deletes episodes you’ve watched from your device. This is good for shows that update weekly. You can also enable “Downloads for You” so Netflix can download titles you might like.

Accessing Smart Downloads on the Netflix mobile app.

Be Mindful of Your Data Usage

When you’re on the road, being wary of your data usage can be important, especially if you’re traveling to low connectivity areas. Streaming content on Netflix can eat up a lot of your data if you’re streaming on the go and don’t have access to a Wi-Fi network. To prevent this from happening, you can either download content in advance, or use Netflix’s settings to keep your data usage to the minimum.

On the mobile app, go to My Netflix > three-bar menu > Account Settings > Video Playback. Click on “Cellular Data Usage.” Here, enable “Save Data” or “Wi-Fi Only” to verify you reduce data usage as much as possible. If you want to stream Netflix on cellular data, you may also reduce the streaming quality to save on unnecessary data usage.

Enabling Smart Downloads on the Netflix mobile app.

To do this on the web app, go to Profile > Account > Edit Settings > Playback Settings. Here, you’re able to reduce data usage per screen from high (up to 3 GB/hour for HD and 7 GB/hour for Ultra HD) to medium (up to 0.7 GB per hour) or low (up to 0.3 GB/hour). You can also disable autoplay for previews and upcoming episodes by checking off the boxes in this section.

To change download quality settings using the mobile app, go to My Netflix > three-bar menu > App Settings > Downloads > Video Quality. Set it to “Standard” instead of “Higher” to increase download speed and reduce storage space. You can also toggle on “Wi-Fi Only” under “Downloads” to restrict your offline content being downloaded strictly to when you have a Wi-Fi connection.

Video Playback settings for cellular data usage on the Netflix mobile app.

Know Which Titles Will Be Available

Another thing to be cautious about while traveling, especially if you’re planning an overseas trip to another country or continent, is to be aware of which titles will be available in your place of travel. This is often determined based on changes to your IP address, but it does not ultimately affect the original country where you got your Netflix subscription, keeping your account and payment-related details unaffected. This can, however, affect your “Continue Watching” and “My List” titles, as well as subtitle options and maturity ratings on shows and movies.

A change in location due to IP address changes can also extend to your downloaded content, so the best thing to do in case your downloads are unavailable is to try downloading content available at your travel location whenever you have internet access. One thing I make sure to do is to verify if my auto-payment process is set up properly when traveling to another country, in case any payment-related issues pop up during my travel.

Changing cellular data usage settings on the Netflix mobile app.

Logging Into Your Home Address Every 30 Days

A crucial thing to remember when traveling is that you need to make sure that you sign in to your Netflix account from your home address every 30 days. After password sharing ended in 2023, Netflix has been stressing on accounts being shared by people in the same household, and one of its methods is the need to “check-in” every 30 days into your household Wi-Fi at your primary location.

If you are not able to access your home network within 30 days, you may lose access to your account temporarily and may need to use an access code to log in again. If you’re planning a longer vacation (more than 30 days) and don’t want to lose access to your account due to Netflix’s policies about primary location, you can alsoconsider putting a temporary pause on your account(for up to 3 months) to skip being billed for your vacation.

Accessing playback settings on Netflix’s web app.

Use TV Casting

If you’re traveling and staying in hotels/rentals with TV access, you can sign in to your Netflix account directly on smart TVs that allow it. You can also use Chromecast if it is available, so you can easily control playback from the comfort of your own device. You can connect your Android mobile device/tablet or iPhone/iPad to a TV using a few methods.

First, you may use Netflix 2nd Screen, which syncs your mobile device automatically to eligible TVs or media players. To use this, verify both your device and the TV are connected to the same Wi-Fi network and signed in to the same Netflix account. Then, tap the Cast button in your Netflix app and select the device name. Press “Play” to start watching.

Changing playback settings on Netflix’s web app.

Secondly, you can use Chromecast, which skips the sign-in for the TV. Tap the Cast button on your Netflix app and select the Chromecast device to start playing your content directly. Finally, you can use a cable or adapter to connect your device to a TV and watch content directly, if you have one handy.

Curate a Travel Watch List

One of the best ways to ensure you watch a show or movie that catches your attention is to createa watch list that you actually use. Before I start a trip, apart from downloads for air travel, I always add content to my watch list that I plan to watch during downtime or travel, where I can use my data.

You can add any content easily to your watch list by clicking the “+” (plus) sign under the show or movie’s title. If you don’t want to add travel-specific shows or movies to your regular watch list, you can create a separate profile to create a new watch list, or use an external app like Soon to create a list of content you’d like to watch during travel.

Accessing video quality settings on Netflix’s mobile app.

Use Local Dubbing Options

Along with changes in available content and titles come different subbing and dubbing options when you travel across countries. you may take advantage of this to try different languages for shows or movies that allow it, and watch content in local languages that you usually wouldn’t get in your home country.

you’re able to use these language options to discover new dialects and local languages, or as a means to improve your vocabulary in that language, if you’re learning it. To ensure thatyour subtitle appearanceis still your preferred settings, go to your Netflix account > My Account > Edit Settings > Subtitle appearance and change the font, font size, or style according to your liking. I make these changes when I’m traveling, if I’m signing onto a new device like a TV at my hotel to have a better viewing experience.

Changing video quality settings on Netflix’s mobile app.

Explore Travel-Specific Content

When I travel to different locations, I like to explore more than local dubbing options, but also content options for things like reality shows and lifestyle content. This can often expose you to local content about cuisine, lifestyle, travel, and culture, which, apart from helping you discover the place you’re traveling to, can also help you learn what to try or look for during your trip.

Discover New Shows Using Local Charts

Apart from travel and lifestyle content, I also like to take advantage of local charts when I’m traveling out of the country. This helps me discover more local content, and is a good way to find titles that usually fly under your radar.

You can access Netflix’s Top 10 charts to see what people are watching at your current location. To do this, scroll down your home tab on the Netflix mobile app to find the Top 10 TV shows/movies in your country. Alternatively, go to the “New & Popular” tab in the web app to find local charts.