The Best Disney+ Tips and Tricks
New to Disney+ or looking to improve your streaming experience? Here are some hidden features and essential tricks you need to know to get the most out of Disney’s streaming service.
By Jason Cohen
Disney+ is the holy grail of content for kids young and old. Beyond the usual classic Disney and Pixar movies, the video-streaming service also includes shows and movies from Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, and 20th Century Fox.
Even with all that content, the service is one of the cheapest at just $6.99 a month. And you can save even more with a $12.99-per-month bundle that includes Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+.
Already signed up? Watch online or download the mobile app for iOS or Android. You can also tune in through Apple TV, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Roku, and a number of smart TVs.
With one service offering so much content, it’s important you know how to find what you’re looking for and control how you watch it all. There are a host of hidden features to discover and important settings to tweak; read on for all the tips and tricks needed to enjoy Disney+.
Save for Later
If you find something you want to watch at a later date, add it to your Watchlist by tapping the plus (+) icon next to the title. Once saved, the plus icon will change to a checkmark; tap it again to remove it from the list. View the list by clicking Watchlist in the top navigation bar on desktop or by tapping your profile icon and selecting Watchlist in the mobile app.
Download for Later
Like many services before it, Disney+ allows you to download videos to your mobile device for later viewing. Just hit the downward-facing arrow icon to begin the process. For TV shows, you can download an entire season at once or individual episodes.
To find your downloads, tap the download button in the bottom navigation bar. To delete the video, tap the Edit button on the download page, check the box next to what needs to go, and hit the trashcan icon. Or, on the movie or show’s Disney+ page, tap the checkmark next to the video and select Remove Download.
Control Download Quality
By default, Disney+ only allows downloads when you’re on Wi-Fi. But if you’re not concerned about hitting your monthly data limit, you can give the app permission to download using cellular data. Tap your user icon and select App Settings, then turn off the switch next to Download Over Wi-Fi Only.
You can also select the quality of downloaded content. Tap Download Quality and choose between: Standard, which offers the fastest download but the lowest quality; High, which will give you slow download speeds but high-quality video; or Medium, which tries to balance the two.
Keep an eye on how much storage these downloads take up. Each setting tells you how many hours of video you can fit if you select a new download option. If you set the quality too high and your device is out of room, you won’t be able to download anything.
Save Data Over Wi-Fi
On the other hand, the Disney+ app taps into cellular data for video playback by default. If you’re concerned about the kids eating through your monthly data by streaming Marvel movies in the car, lock it down. In the app, tap your user icon and select App Settings > Cellular Data Usage. By selecting Save Data, you use less overall data but video will be of a lower quality. Tap Wi-Fi Only and video playback will only be possible when your device is connected to Wi-Fi.
Check Out the Extras
Prior to the streaming boom, one of the reasons for buying a movie on DVD was the extras: deleted scenes, trailers, alternative cuts, behind-the-scenes content, featurettes, commentary, and bloopers. That kind of content never really made the transition to streaming services, but Disney+ has you covered. Most films and TV shows on the service include some kind of additional extra content. Find a video you want to watch and select the Extras tab underneath the play button.
Control Autoplay
By default, the service supports autoplay, so the next episode of a TV show will start automatically. To control that, select your user icon, then hit Edit Profiles. Choose the profile you wish to change, then turn off the switch next to Autoplay.
Add Separate Profiles
Disney+ supports four concurrent streams at a time, meaning four people can be watching something different at the same time using the same account. To keep your viewing organized and recommendations relevant, Disney+ lets you create separate profiles for each viewer. From the main account, tap Edit Profiles > Add Profile. Select a Disney character as the account’s icon, if you want, add the profile name, and then choose if it’s a Kids Profile or if you want the account to support autoplay. The next time you sign in, tap your profile for a viewing experience all your own.
Make a Kid’s Profile
Disney+ content is mostly kid-friendly, but there are a few things that just aren’t meant for the little ones. Make sure your child only sees what you want them to watch by making a kids profile for them, which hides the more mature content.
When you first create a profile, you can designate it for a child. But if you want to convert an adult profile to a kids profile, click your account icon, choose Edit Profiles, tap your kid’s account, and flip the switch next to Kids Profile. Save the changes and the inappropriate stuff disappears.
Custom Captions
If you need subtitles, click or tap the subtitles icon on the top right while a movie or show is playing, and select your preferred language. If you’re watching on the web, tap the gear icon to customize the captions you see with different fonts, sizes, and colors.
Search with the Right Filter
Disney+ includes hundreds of films and TV shows, so it can be hard to decide what to watch. You can search by title, but if you’re undecided, filter by genre. On the web, click the Movies or Series button up top; on mobile, tap the magnifying glass icon on the navigation menu and tap Movies or Series. Then, tap the “Featured” drop-down and choose a different criteria, like Comedy, Documentary, Kids, or options in 4K or HDR. To see absolutely everything available, choose All Movies/Series A-Z. And more content is added each month; here’s what to expect in the coming weeks.
Watch Disney+ Collections
With content from so many different studios, Disney+ has helpfully arranged what it has on offer into collections. When you first open Disney+, you will notice Disney’s most prominent brands up at the top — Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic. But tap into the search page, and there are a few more collections to peruse, including The Simpsons, Spider-Man, The Muppets, Mickey Mouse, and more.
How to Cancel Your Disney+ Subscription
No longer need your fix of Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars films? Here’s how to cancel your Disney+ subscription on the web.
Originally published at https://www.pcmag.com.