Yes, but not through Coursera itself. Coursera has no Windows or Mac app, and its offline mode only exists in the phone and tablet apps. To watch Coursera offline on a laptop you need the lectures saved as video files, either from the Download option some courses offer or with a browser extension that saves the lecture you are playing.
Once the files are on your laptop, they play anywhere: on a plane, in a library with bad Wi-Fi, or on a train with no signal.
Why the Coursera website does not work offline
The Coursera website streams every lecture from its servers. Close the connection and the player stops, even if you watched the lecture yesterday. Browsers do not keep a usable copy of streaming video, so there is nothing to fall back on.
The mobile apps solve this with their own offline storage, but that storage stays locked inside the app. It never becomes a file you can copy to a laptop.
What actually works on Windows and Mac
| Option | Works offline on laptop | Every course | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coursera website | No | Yes | Streaming only |
| Coursera mobile app | No | Most | Phone and tablet only |
| Download option under a lecture | Yes | Some | Depends on the course |
| Browser extension | Yes | Any lecture you can play | MP4 files in Downloads |
The Download option is the free route when it exists. For courses without it, an extension is the only way to get a file. For the step-by-step version of both, see how to download Coursera videos.
Set up a laptop for a week of offline study
Plan your downloads the evening before you lose your connection.
- Pick the lectures. Open the course outline and list the videos for the week, usually 6 to 15 lectures.
- Save each lecture. Use the Download option or the extension on each video. Keep the tab open until each file finishes.
- Grab the extras. Save subtitles, slides, and readings you will need. Readings can be saved with Print to PDF.
- Check the files. Open two or three videos before you leave. A file that does not play offline is better found at home.
- Copy to a folder you can find. Something like
Coursera/Machine Learning/Week 3keeps it simple.
How much space you need
A one-hour lecture at 720p usually takes 300 to 600 MB. A typical course week of two to three hours of video needs 1 to 2 GB. A full specialization can reach 10 GB or more, so an external drive helps for long programmes.
Keeping your progress in sync
Watching a saved file does not tell Coursera you finished the lecture. Two ways to stay on track:
- Mark items complete later. When you are back online, open each lecture and let it register, or move to the next item.
- Do quizzes online. Graded items always need a connection. Study offline, then submit when you reconnect.
Tips for studying offline
- Turn on subtitles. Save
.srtfiles with the same name as the video and players such as VLC load them automatically. - Speed up playback. Most players support 1.25x to 2x, which is handy for review.
- Take notes with timestamps. Write the minute mark next to each note so you can jump back when you are online.
- Charge first. Video playback drains a laptop battery faster than reading. Plug in before a long session.
Once you have the files saved, watching Coursera offline on a laptop works the same way on Mac as on Windows.
Once you have the files saved, learn how to watch Coursera offline on a laptop without depending on the download button.
Once videos and subtitles are on disk, watching Coursera offline on a laptop explains which players load captions automatically.
Once the files are saved, watching Coursera offline on a laptop shows how to study without a connection.
The short version
Coursera has no laptop offline mode. Save the lectures you need as MP4 files, from the course's own Download option when it is there or with a browser extension when it is not, and play them in any video player. Then reconnect to mark progress and take quizzes.