BBC customers have a limited time to watch unseen shows they have in the downloads section of iPlayer, and the app will be discontinued on Monday.
The BBC iPlayer Downloads app will no longer work on PCs and Macs in a previously announced move with the co-op saying fewer people are using the feature.
Downloads will still work on the iPlayer mobile app.
But while PC users can still stream shows, they won’t be able to download them for offline viewing — or even watch shows they’ve previously downloaded.
“We have started the process of shutting down the desktop download application,” the BBC said.
“Computer or laptop downloads will no longer be available from Monday 11 March. You can still watch your existing downloads until Monday, April 8, 2024.”
Other workarounds to break this feature also don’t work.
For example, MacBooks with one of Apple’s M-series processors can run iPhone and iPad apps. But when you search for iPlayer in App Store on Mac, it is not available.
Similarly, Windows 11 allows PCs to run Android apps through Amazon’s Appstore. But, again, when you browse that library, you’ll find BBC Sounds, but not BBC iPlayer.
Fans of the app were left unsatisfied.
David Ward tweeted: “I see that BBC iPlayer PC downloads for TV programs will end. Saving the clipboard often makes programs here invisible without downloading them first.”
dr. Jamie Gallagher added: “It’s a shame. BBC iPlayer stops laptop downloads. I loved getting shows for train journeys.”
The BBC said: “We have taken the difficult decision to close the Desktop Downloads app for BBC iPlayer, due to the low number of people using it and the costs involved in maintaining it.”