Netflix’s upcoming ad-supported tier could have a big drawback — besides the fact that your programming will be interrupted by commercials, that is. One of the streaming service’s more useful features, offline viewing, may not be available to members on this low-end tier of the service.

This discovery came about when developer Steve Moser found code within the Netflix iPhone app that suggested the streamer will block users from downloading titles to their devices for offline viewing.

According to text in the code, "Downloads available on all plans except Netflix with ads." It further suggested that users would be directed to personalize their ad experience and that they would not skip commercials, as expected.

Bloomberg originally reported the news, citing results by Moser, also shared on the developer's blog. Netflix declined to comment on the specific aspect of the software while hinting the downloads feature may well appear in the final product.

We are still in the early days of deciding how to launch a lower priced, ad-supported option and no decisions have been made. So this is all just speculation at this point," a Netflix spokesperson told us.

While the streaming giant is still in the process of setting up the ad-supported tier and plans to launch in early 2023, this discovery may be a hint of what is in store for Netflix subscribers looking for a cheaper way to stream. Removing the download capability from the ad-supported offering will certainly lose a few subscribers to the tier — potentially all part of the plan. Some of the heavy users of this feature — business travelers, for example — will be driven up into higher-priced service tiers without it.

Netflix wouldn't be unique in that decision. HBO Max, Peacock and other ad-supported streamers tend not to offer the offline capability for free or ad-tier subscribers. That is reserved for full-paid subscribers.

The issue might not be just about squeezing a few more extra bucks out of those Netflix subs.

Engineering the ad attribution correctly for the offline content would be a technical hurdle. Hulu, for instance, was years behind the pack to introduce offline viewing through its streaming service. The company did not add the feature until 2019 — many years after the company's peers, Netflix and Amazon, had made the feature available. Though Hulu never publicly explained the delay, it's probably the case that ad attribution issues necessitated additional engineering resources. Its ad-supported tier doesn't offer downloads yet.

Additionally, Hulu may even have been compromising on whether such a feature would even be worth it in a world where not to be connected was becoming less of an issue.

That complicates the situation: Netflix is a newcomer to the advertising ecosystem altogether and is outsourcing the endeavor by working with a third party, Microsoft, to power its ad-support plan. So maybe it's beyond its control to what degree it can or cannot offer offline viewing.

The new low-priced tier is not the only possible drawback at a time when the download feature might be missing. The company also recently said that certain TV series and films would not be available on the ad-supported version at launch, as well.

Netflix plans to debut the new ad-sponsored plan in early 2023. It has yet to decide on the specific pricing.