Hidden code suggests a change in how Netflix will handle downloaded content on Android

Are you old enough to remember when Netflix's business model revolved around subscribers receiving CDs by mail? The company's hook was that it didn't charge a late fee. And once smartphones started to rule the world, the Netflix app allowed mobile users to view movies and shows on the go. We can fondly remember installing the app on our Motorola DROID back in May 2011.

By December 2016, Netflix started to allow both iOS and Android users to download certain shows and movies on their mobile devices so that they could be viewed later when the user is offline. This will also allow a Netflix user to download some content that he or she wants to view in Airplane Mode while traveling. There is one downside to downloading Netflix content; if you don't complete downloading the entire video, it cannot be played. Eventually, when everyone is rocking a 5G phone, this won't happen since downloading content would take no longer than a few seconds. But for now, such an activity can take several minutes over a 4G LTE network.

If you've decided not to invest in a 5G phone yet, there could be some good news anyway. XDA found some hidden code in the latest version of the Netflix app (version 7.58.0) which suggests that a change is coming. The strings of code found by XDA suggest that Netflix will give users the ability to watch downloaded content even if it has been only partially downloaded. This will allow Netflix subscribers who run out of data or who can't access their network for some reason in the middle of downloading content, to view at least the part of the movie or TV show they were able to install.

We don't know when-or even if- this feature will be rolling out to Netflix users, but if it is and it will make your life easier, we know exactly whom to thank. Back in February, a Twitter user named Sanjay Pahuja (@sanjay31051986) suggested to Netflix that the video streamer allow content partially downloaded to be viewable by users. Netflix said that it would take the suggestion under consideration. Now it appears that the company has done more than just that and that the ability to view partially downloaded content is on the way.

If you don't have Netflix on your mobile device, you can find the app in both the App Store for iOS users and the Google Play Store for those with an Android device. After a free month of service, Netflix will cost you $8.99 per month for the Basic service that allows you to stream on one screen at a time. The Standard subscription costs $12.99 per month and offers streams to be viewed in HD with two screens able to use the subscription at the same time. For $15.99 per month, the Premium service allows streams to be viewed in HD and Ultra-HD with four screens able to view Netflix at the same time.

Netflix has released some red hot original series and the second half of the fifth and final season of Fuller House will drop on June 2nd. This series is the sequel to ABC's popular Full House which ran from 1987-1995 and put the Olson twins on the map. Ryan Murphy's controversial eight-episode Hollywood series is a fictionalized look at Tinseltown using real-life characters. If you've ever watched one of Murphy's shows, you know what to expect so you know not to let the kiddies view this. But if you're like many, Hollywood is like a book that you just can't put down and many have binge-watched the series in one night. The ensemble cast includes Big Bang Theory's Jim Parsons and Patti Lupone (Evita). And if you're in the mood for a dark comedy, the second season of Dead to Me is now available. Starring Christina Applegate (Kelly Bundy from Married with Children) and Linda Cardellini (ER), this is another Netflix original that you can't get enough of.