The BBC has announced that iPlayer for Android will now let you download programmes for offline viewing.
This long-awaited update, rolling out later today, will let you download episodes of Strictly, EastEnders and Sherlock and keep them on your phone or tablet for up to 30 days, giving you a seven day window to watch once you’ve pressed play.
Most Android devices running 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and above will benefit from the update.
Android tablet owners will have the option of downloading shows in High Quality to make better use of those pixel-dense 7-inch-plus sized screens.
Read our guide to BBC iPlayerOver the coming months, more devices and older versions of Android will be supported. Those running 2.3 Gingerbread or older, keep your powder dry in the comments.
David Berlin, senior product manager for the BBC says: “I’m really pleased that we are now able to deliver video playback quality parity with Apple iOS devices, support the full range of Android screen sizes, including tablet support and, as of today enable mobile TV download functionality to Android devices.”
As well as this, the BBC has added the option to let you download shows without you having to keep the screen awake, a problem related to the iOS version of the app. Android users have been waiting a while for this update to land but their patience has been repaid with a superior service.
Devices supported from launch include:
- Amazon Kindle 8.9-inch
- Asus Nexus 7 (original)
- Asus Nexus 7 (new)
- HTC One
- LG Nexus 4
- Samsung Galaxy S2
- Samsung Galaxy S3
- Samsung Galaxy S4
- Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7″
- Samsung Google Nexus 10
- Sony Xperia Z
The BBC says that 70 per cent of Android device owners will be able to download content on the go. Support for the 7-inch Kindle Fire and Kindle Fire HD tablets is being worked on right now and the new version of BBC iPlayer will be uploaded to the Amazon App Store in the coming days.
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