BBC iPlayer app being shut down for PC and Mac users this week - when is it and will I lose downloaded shows?

BBC iPlayer users have been warned that the app will be shut down for millions of users within the next week.

In just a few days, the BBC iPlayer app will stop working for good, rendering it useless for those who have downloaded it. The closure will only affect the iPlayer Download app for PC and Mac, but will have a knock-on effect on downloads of long-running shows such as Death In Paradise and Happy Valley.

Naysayers claim this move is forcing users to move towards Britbox, a subscription service with a catalogue of BBC and ITV programmes. But executives at the BBC cited a combination of dwindling user numbers and the escalating costs associated with maintaining the service as driving factors behind this "challenging decision."

In a previously issued statement, a spokesperson for the BBC said: "We have commenced the process of winding down the Desktop Downloads App. The capability to download programs from a computer or laptop will cease to be available from Monday, 11 March. However, existing downloads can still be accessed until Monday, 8 April, 2024."

"Users can continue to download their preferred programs onto their mobile devices and queue programs for future viewing."

Come 8 April, all affected devices will lose access to BBC iPlayer, thereby rendering their favorite shows inaccessible. Although certain devices will no longer support BBC iPlayer, smartphones and tablets will remain unaffected by these changes.