When you watch a movie on Netflix or listen to a song on Spotify, you’re using streaming. This means the content is sent to your device in small chunks over the internet. You don’t have to wait for the whole file to arrive — playback begins almost instantly as the data flows in.
Downloading, on the other hand, means the entire file is saved to your device first. You must wait for the full movie, song, or game to finish downloading before using it. Once it’s stored, you can access it anytime without needing an internet connection.
Streaming requires a continuous internet connection. If the signal is weak or slow, the video might pause to buffer. But it saves storage space on your device. Downloading uses up more storage, but it’s reliable for offline use and doesn’t depend on internet speed once the file is saved.
In short, streaming is like watching a movie live on TV, while downloading is like recording it to watch later. The choice depends on your internet strength, storage space, and how you plan to use the content.