Long flights, train journeys through the hills, a weekend somewhere with no signal — offline videos make the time pass. With a little planning you can take hours of viewing without running out of storage or mobile data.
Step 1: Work out how much space you need
Use these rough sizes per hour of typical online video:
- 480p: about 250–400 MB
- 720p: about 0.5–1 GB
- 1080p: about 1–2 GB
For a phone screen, 720p looks great and roughly halves the space compared with 1080p. For an eight-hour journey, 720p means around 4–8 GB. Check your free space first: Settings → Storage on Android, Settings → General → iPhone Storage on iPhone.
More detail in Video quality explained.
Step 2: Download on Wi-Fi, before you leave
Downloading on hotel or airport Wi-Fi is slow and unreliable. Do it at home the night before. Make a list as you go — creators' tutorials, a documentary, recipes for the trip — and download them in one session.
Step 3: Use official offline features where they exist
Streaming apps such as Netflix, Prime Video and Spotify have built-in offline downloads that work inside their apps. Use those for films, series and music — they're licensed for exactly this. Use a downloader like Zovan for public social media videos those apps don't cover: a Reel tutorial, a Reddit clip, a Vimeo short film.
Step 4: Organise a "Travel" folder
- Create a folder or album called Travel and move everything there.
- Rename files so you know what they are: "lisbon-food-tour.mp4".
- Check every file plays before you leave — open each one in airplane mode for a second.
Step 5: Pick a good offline player
Your phone's gallery app works, but VLC (free on Android, iPhone, Windows and Mac) plays every format, remembers where you stopped, and can boost quiet audio — useful on a noisy train.
Running low on space?
- USB-C flash drive: many Android phones and recent iPhones can play videos directly from a USB-C drive using the Files app.
- SD card: if your Android phone has a slot, set it as the download location.
- Laptop or tablet: put the bigger files there and keep the phone for short clips.
- Delete videos as you watch them.
See also How to free up phone storage for videos.
Battery tips
- Turn on airplane mode — searching for signal drains the battery fast.
- Lower screen brightness and use headphones instead of the speaker.
- Carry a power bank; most airlines allow them in cabin luggage (check your airline's limits).
For families
Download kids' content to a tablet, test it at home, and set the device to airplane mode so autoplay doesn't try to stream. A pair of volume-limited headphones keeps everyone happy.
Ready to build your list? Start with the downloader — and enjoy the trip.