A download failed or was interrupted. What should I check?

First: is the download still running, or did it fail?#

Open the download list and read the exact state. Waiting or queued means it may simply be behind another episode; failed or an error message needs attention. Do not delete completed episodes or reset the app as the first test.

If you cannot find a download control at all, check which apps support offline viewing. Swiftfin and the website do not become offline clients by retrying.

Work through the matching branch#

1. The task says storage is full: Check free device storage. Delete only downloads you no longer need, then retry one episode. Removing a watchlist entry will not free video storage.
2. It failed when the app closed or the device slept: Reopen the app with a stable connection and keep it awake. On Android, use Try again under Offline library → Current downloads. Desktop can requeue an interrupted transfer from 0%; use Retry for tasks still marked failed or cancelled.
3. It fails immediately again: Open the same episode online and try the same language/source. If online playback also fails, choose another offered source or use playback troubleshooting. Repeated retries cannot restore an unavailable source.
4. Online playback works, but the saved task keeps failing: Its stored address may be stale. On Android, cancel the failed entry using its X and confirmation, reopen the episode, select a working source and choose Download. On desktop, use Remove for that failed task, return to the episode, select the source and choose Download episode. Remove only the failed task, not the whole library.
5. You use Streamyfin on iPhone/iPad: Follow the client-specific checks. Do not enter a different server or install an extra server component just because a general Jellyfin tutorial suggests it.
6. The task completed but will not play: Open it through the offline library. If the app says its video file is gone, the entry alone cannot restore it; remove that broken entry and download again while online.

Confirm the fix#

Let one episode finish, then play it from the offline library with the network disconnected. Check sound and the expected language, reconnect, and only then queue more. A restarted progress bar is not yet a successful repair.

If it still fails#

For Could not load downloads or a refresh error, choose Try again on the list first. That reloads the list and is different from retrying a video transfer.

For a repeatable failure, contact support with the app name/version, device/OS, anime, season, episode, language, visible source name, approximate time and exact error. Say whether that episode plays online and whether another download succeeds. Share the normal episode page, not a private video URL; remove usernames, tokens and account information from screenshots.

Downloads do not survive every cleanup, reset or reinstall. Those actions risk losing working local files and are not required for this checklist.