Netflix Android app has a great new downloads feature iPhone users will never see

Smartphones equipped with a microSD card slot can now save much more content for offline viewing

Unfortunately for iOS users, Apple never has and almost certainly never will equip the iPhone with a microSD slot (REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo)

Netflix has rolled out a significant update to its Android app, allowing users to store downloads on their microSD cards.

After months of desperate speculation, Netflix users gained the ability to save TV shows and films for offline viewing towards the end of last year, but there was one downside: users could only save content to their device’s onboard storage.

That placed a tight restriction on how much content users could download.

The majority of low-end Android smartphones have limited onboard storage, but make up for this by featuring a microSD card slot. This allows users to significantly expand storage without breaking the bank.

Simply put, the latest version of the app lets Android users save a lot more content for offline viewing.

Netflix has, however, stressed that the new feature isn’t available on all Android handsets with a microSD card slot, though the company is yet to highlight specific devices.

It’s great news for commuters, who often have to struggle with a patchy connection during their journeys journeys.

Unfortunately, this particular update is unlikely to ever arrive on the iOS version of the Netflix app, as Apple never has and almost certainly never will equip the iPhone with a microSD slot.

According to new reports, the firm's next smartphone will also forgo a home button, with Apple instead expected to embed a fingerprint sensor into the iPhone 8's screen.