Identify which list the item belonged to
WOW’s watchlist and download help separates saved programme selections from mobile downloads. A watchlist is a way to find something again, while the local download is the file used without a connection. Seeing the title’s artwork after signing back in does not establish that the earlier file remains on that phone.
Signing out has a documented deletion effect
The dedicated download article explicitly warns that downloads are removed when the user logs out on that device. If disappearance followed that action, account reinstallation is not the first distinction to investigate. Check the local download area and acquire any still-eligible item again through the official app while connected.
The availability clocks also matter
WOW describes a storage window limited by its stated duration or the title leaving the catalogue, with a shorter viewing period after playback begins. Compare the actual displayed status rather than expecting an untouched offline copy to remain usable indefinitely. An active subscription does not remove the film’s licence window or the local file’s expiry.
Prepare the intended device before travel
Complete the download and check its local status on the phone or tablet that will be used. Avoid signing out merely to tidy the account immediately before disconnecting. If something remains inconsistent, retain the title, device and timeline of download, playback and logout; those events explain more than a general report that the watchlist lost a programme.
Questions, answered
Will signing back in necessarily restore the earlier local file?
WOW’s warning says logout deletes downloads; inspect the local download area and the title’s current eligibility.
Is a watchlist tile proof that a film will play offline?
No. The provider treats the watchlist and mobile downloads separately.