Netflix has issued an update that allows users to download content to Android and iOS devices and watch it offline, instead of just streaming it.

The update means that on compatible devices Netflix devotees can download content and watch it at a later time without an internet connection.

Previously, most Netflix content could only be streamed, meaning an internet connection was imperative to watch shows like House of Cards and Stranger Things, as well as a massive library of movies and documentaries.

“While many members enjoy watching Netflix at home, we’ve often heard they also want to continue their Stranger Things binge while on airplanes and other places where Internet is expensive or limited,” Netflix director of product innovation Eddy Wu wrote in a post.

Here’s how to download content on your Netflix app. Photo: Netflix

“Just click the download button on the details page for a film or TV series and you can watch it later without an internet connection.”

The post wrote it was already possible for some series to be downloaded – such as Orange Is The New Black, Narcos and The Crown – but that now everything on Netflix was available offline.

Meanwhile, new data has revealed Australia’s internet downloads have more than doubled over the past two years, as people watch increasing amounts of online video.

Nearly two in three people tune in to online video content, including Netflix, Stan and catch-up streaming services, according to figures from the Australian Communication and Media Authority’s 2015/16 report.

Australians downloaded nearly 2.2 million terabytes of data from April to June this year, compared to one million terabytes in 2014.

That’s roughly the equivalent of 2.2 billion high-definition Game of Thrones episodes.

The data accounts for all internet usage but video was a key driver, according to the report.

“Catch-up and subscription video, particularly video content downloads, have driven data usage, rather than growth in the number of devices,” it wrote.

– with AAP