To save a Coursera course before your subscription ends, download every lecture you still need while your access is active. Once the subscription or free trial expires, the lectures stop playing, and anything you did not save is gone. Use the built-in Download option where a course offers it, and a browser extension for the lectures that do not.
This guide covers what you lose when access ends, how to work through a course quickly, and what to check before the last day.
What you keep and what you lose when access ends
Coursera handles access differently depending on whether you are on a subscription, a free trial, or a single-course purchase. The details vary by course and partner, but the pattern is usually the same.
| Item | After subscription ends |
|---|---|
| Lectures you already downloaded | Stay on your computer |
| Lectures you never opened | No longer playable |
| Completed quizzes and assignments | Usually still visible in your account |
| Graded assignments and peer reviews | Locked |
| Certificate | Only if you finished and paid while subscribed |
| Subtitles and readings | Gone unless you saved them |
At the time of writing, most learners keep read-only access to what they completed, but that is not a guarantee. Treat the end date as the last day you can save anything.
Before you start: make a list
Do not open lectures one by one and hope you remember what you skipped. Spend five minutes planning.
- Open the course outline and note every video lecture.
- Mark the ones you have already watched and saved.
- Note which weeks you still need for your own study or reference.
- Check the exact end date of your subscription or trial in your account settings.
- Count the remaining lectures so you know how much time you need.
A typical course has 20 to 60 video lectures. At one click per lecture, saving a full course takes 20 to 40 minutes of clicking plus download time.
Method 1: Use the built-in Download option
Some courses show a Download menu below the video player. When it is there, it is the fastest route because it is free and built in.
- Open the lecture in Chrome or Safari.
- Look below the player for Download or a downward arrow.
- Choose the video file, and subtitles if offered.
- The file saves to your Downloads folder.
Where it fails: many courses, especially Professional Certificates, guided projects, and newer specializations, do not show this option at all. There is no account setting that turns it on. If the button is missing, see what to do when the Coursera download button is missing.
Method 2: Save any lecture with a browser extension
When a course has no Download option, a Chrome extension can save the video stream your browser is already playing. This works on any lecture you can watch while your subscription is active.
With Coursera Downloader:
- Install the extension from the Chrome Web Store.
- Sign in with Google. You receive 15 free credits, enough for 3 videos.
- Open a Coursera lecture you can still play.
- Click the download button that appears on the video player.
- The MP4 file lands in your Downloads folder.
Each new video costs 5 credits. Re-downloading the same video later is free, so a failed or interrupted save does not cost you again. The Standard plan gives 200 credits a month (40 videos) for $29.80, and Pro gives 500 credits (100 videos) for $49.80 if you are saving several courses at once.
Where it fails: the extension requires Chrome, so Safari users need to switch browsers. It also only works while the lecture still plays, which means it cannot help after your subscription has ended.
A realistic plan for the last week
If your subscription ends soon, work in this order so the most important material is safe first.
- Save the lectures you have not watched yet. These are the ones you lose completely.
- Save the lectures you will rewatch. Even watched videos disappear from the player.
- Save subtitles and transcripts if the course offers them, using the same base file name as the video.
- Download readings and slides as PDFs while you can still open them.
- Test one file offline by disconnecting from the internet and playing it in VLC or QuickTime.
- Back up the folder to an external drive or cloud storage.
If you are on a Mac, the folder layout in downloading Coursera lecture videos on Mac keeps a large course sorted by week.
Comparison: which method for which situation
| Situation | Best method | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Course shows Download | Built-in Download | Free, no setup |
| Download is missing | Coursera Downloader | Works on any playable lecture |
| Subscription ends in 24 hours | Extension, most important lectures first | One click per video, no waiting on menus |
| You need subtitles | Built-in Download when offered | Often bundles them with the video |
| You are saving 3 or more courses | Extension with a paid plan | Credits cover volume, re-downloads are free |
| You use Safari only | Built-in Download if available | Otherwise install Chrome |
What does not work
Waiting until after the end date. Once access closes, the player stops working and there is nothing to capture. There is no grace period you can rely on.
Screen recording. It works, but a two-hour lecture becomes a multi-gigabyte file, quality drops, and you have to watch in real time. For a whole course, that is hours of extra work.
Copying video URLs from developer tools. Coursera uses signed streaming links that expire quickly, so this approach from older guides no longer works.
The mobile app's offline mode. Videos saved in the app stay inside the app and cannot be moved to a laptop or opened in another player.
The short version
Save every lecture you need while your Coursera subscription is still active, because access ends the moment it expires. Use the built-in Download option where it exists and Coursera Downloader for the rest, then test one file offline before the end date.