20+ Netflix Hacks, Tips, and Tricks You Should Be Using
Dec. 3, 2021Do you like binging TV shows and movies? Being the user favorite OTT platform, Netflix strives hard for its audience to have a seamless entertainment experience. It has brought more than 15,000 titles, among which we have somegreat Netflix originals, to its 200 million (and counting) global subscribers. Netflix provides the best streaming service currently available on the planet by presenting some nifty features to its users. It also encouraged independent developers indirectly to make the platform more useful. However, the real question is if you are using Netflix to its full potential? If not, we have curated this list of quirky Netflix hacks, tricks, and tips for you to make the most out of your binge-watching experience. So, without any further ado, let’s begin.
Here are some useful Netflix tricks introduced by the company over the years, but they aren’t widely used by subscribers.
You can ask your AI assistants like Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, and Apple’s Siri to play your favorite shows on Netflix.
Amazon recently introduced the “Play Something” feature to Alexa as well. It will start a random show or movie on Netflix when you use the following command – “Alexa, Play Something on Netflix.” We expect this feature to roll out for other assistants in the coming days, making it a nifty Netflix hack for couch potatoes.
Moreover, you can use voice commands if you find typing long movie titles with your remote tiring. It’s better to use voice commands when you know what exactly you want to watch. Just remember to add “on Netflix” after you say the name of the movie/ TV show to your voice assistant. For example, you can say – “Hey Google, play You Season 3 Episode 2 on Netflix”. This feature is equally compatible with other voice-activated devices such as smart TVs. They usually have a microphone button on the remote. The commands are limited at the time, but it covers everything you will need from Netflix.
If you own an Oculus or Google Daydream VR headset, you can watch Netflix like never before. All you have to do is download the Netflix app from the Oculus Store or Netflix VR app from the Play store for Daydream. The further procedure is straightforward as feeding in your login details and enjoying thebest movies on Netflixandbest Netflix TV series.
Netflix recently launched a dedicated site to show theTop 10 list of movies and showspeople are watching. It shows the top 10 films and series in the English and non-English category, according to global viewing hours.
The website also shows the number of weeks a particular show has topped the chart. Therefore, you can precisely know what’s currently trending and what is bringing the audience for a longer time, which might mean it is a better show. You can also see the country-specific lists for regional content. That makes it one of the best Netflix tips and tricks for users who usually find it hard to settle on what to watch after booting up the streaming service. However, it only shows the top rankings and skips the viewing hours, which is disappointing.
When 200 million people spend their time on your platform, you get a lot of data. Netflix is one company using such data to its benefit. From curating content to telling users the best ISP provider in their region, it’s always in viewers’ best interest.
Netflix previously launched Fast.com, one of thebest internet speed test sitesin the market. They used it to bring out corrupt internet providers who were throttling speed and create the “ISP speed index” for Netflix. It’s a leaderboard that shows which ISP works best in your region for streaming. The metrics distribute the internet providers in various tiers andshow you their performance from the last six months. You also get to see the type of connection you can get from the internet company, for instance, wireless or fiber.
It could be a handy tool if you have just moved to a new location and looking to get a new internet connection. So, accommodate your streaming needs before you settle on an ISP with this Netflix hack.
Below are the secret codes for some popular categories for you to try. We also have acomprehensive guide on Netflix’s secret codesthat you can check out via the linked article.
Action and Adventure
Classic Movies
Drama
Comedies
Children and Family
Documentary
Horror Movies
Foreign Movies
Musicals
Sports
Thrillers
Sci-Fi and Fantasy
TV Shows
Romance
Imagine watching a suspense movie and accidentally tapping on the video progress bar to spoil the climax. Not at all a pleasing scenario, isn’t it? Well, to avoid such mishaps, here is a classy Netflix mobile tip you should always use.
Whenever you are watching Netflix on your smartphone or tablet, press the lock icon that appears at the bottom-center of your playback screen. It will disable all the functions unless you unlock them by tapping the ‘Lock’ again. Remember, your device’s navigation keys and notifications will still be active.
Things can lead to World War 3 if you decide to watch an extra episode without your better half. Viewing a show together is a great bonding exercise. However, chances are you were too excited about some show’s release and watched it without your partner, which may cause you trouble. ,
Netflix lets you remove items from your watch history with a simple click. Apart from saving you from your partner, this feature alsohelps tone down suggestions similar to those you removed. Therefore, if you watched “The Conjuring” and promised yourself not to see any otherhorror movies on Netflix, the platform will spare you and won’t offer similar suggestions.
Here’s how you can review your activity and remove items from your viewing history. Go to yourAccount, thenSettings. Now, click on theProfileyou use and selectViewing History. Click the “No” symbol to remove the item from the list. The item will be removed from your viewing history and “continue watching list” within 24 hours. Remember, this Netflix hack does not work if you watched a title from the “Kids” profile.
Privacy is one big issue right now, and we must know what kind of data big companies are collecting from us. To temper any user concerns, Netflix offers anoption to download the data they collect from us to maintain transparency with the users.
Your information for a particular account consists of your name, billing address, payment methods, and more. In addition, Netflix shows your account log as well. It contains the list of shows you have watched, the watch time and date, which device you used, and how much time you spent on Netflix. Moreover, the streaming giant also tracks all your clicks to determine how you ended up watching a particular show.
You can access this data by sending a request to the company. Go to yourAccountpage, and scroll down to find the option “Download your personal information.” After that, Netflix will send a confirmation email to the primary email address. Once confirmed, it may take 1-2 days to get a CSV file of your data. You can use tools like Google Data Studio to create charts and graphs from the information to better understand how you spend your time on Netflix.
This is a well-known Netflix trick, but only a few people actively use it. Netflix includes an option to either like or dislike a particular movie or TV series. It helps the algorithm determine what suggestions it should offer us, depending on what content we want.
If you are not using this feature, Netflix might occasionally bombard you with random suggestions to see if you will like them, and getting better movie recommendations becomes challenging. Therefore, make sure to vote your preference whenever possible to get personalized suggestions. You can find the like and dislike buttons in the form of thumbs up and thumbs down icons, respectively. The feature is visible whenever you open the information page or snippet of any movie or TV series on Netflix.
You can download movies and TV shows for offline viewing using the Netflix apps on your PC and smartphone. It comes in handy when you are traveling and have an unreliable internet connection or if you use a limited mobile data plan and can’t afford to stream on it. However, it’s worth noting that thedownloaded content remains on your device for a limited time. Therefore, it’s best to do it when you are confirmed to be away from Wi-Fi zones.
The download button is available below each title in the Netflix desktop and mobile app. Whenever you are willing to download some TV shows, clicking that button would do the job. Then comes the advanced “Smart Download” feature. It remembers which show you are watching and your progress. It then downloads the next episode beforehand without any manual intervention. Meanwhile, it also deletes the offline episodes you have watched. Thus, helping you save storage space on your device.
You can quickly enable the Smart Download feature on your phone by going to the app’s “Settings” and selecting the “Smart Download” option under the “Download” section. Toggle on the “Download Next Episode” option on the next screen. It also has another feature that will download content on its own based on your suggestions. Thus, you will always have something to watch. You can allocate how much storage space Netflix can use on your device for each profile.
The same step-by-step process applies to the Netflix PC app as well. Click the three dots icon on the top-right corner of your screen. Then, toggle the “Smart Download” option on the pop-up to enable it.
Every Netflix account lets you create a maximum of 5 profiles, which comes in handy when sharing it with multiple people. Moreover, you can also use this feature to create a secondary profile for yourself and tweak the settings to create a distinct identity. Here is how you canmake the most out of profiles on Netflix.
You can select the maturity level for each profile on Netflix. So, if you have a kid in your house who should not be watching a specific type of content, you can choose the appropriate maturity level from thefive available options – All, 7+, 13+, 16+, and 18+.
You can also restrict specific titles if you don’t want them in your suggestions. Simply search for the movie or TV show title, choose from the list, and save your choice in the “Viewing Restriction” section. To make changes, go to Account settings, and click on the profile you want to manage. Now, click on the “Viewing Restriction” option, and enter the account password to proceed. You will be greeted by the screen in the screenshot above.
Netflix keeps recommendations for each profile distinct in the account. Therefore, you can use a profile to discover movies or TV shows you don’t want to spoil the recommendations in your primary profile. For instance, let’s say you and your partner watch sitcoms and dramas on one profile together. And since you also like horror movies, which your partner does not, you use another profile to watch that content. This way, your primary profile won’t show you suggestions related to the horror genre. Also, use the thumbs up and down button to control the recommendations according to your needs.
Netflix allows you to create a PIN lock for each profile so that no one else can tinker with your suggestions or take a peek at what you like to watch. So, if you want an extra layer of security, use the PIN lock.
To enable it, go to yourAccount settingpage, and select the profile you want to lock. Now, click on the “Profile Lock” option and enter the account password to proceed. Here, check the “Require a PIN to access profile” option. Lastly,enter your PINand save it. Now, you will need to enter this PIN code to access your Netflix profile going forward.
Netflix can be cheaper than your cable TV connection, but it is still expensive. The price looks sky-high compared to otherbest streaming platforms. Therefore, we can always benefit from some money-saving tricks for Netflix. Here are a few you should try.
This is one of the no-brainer hacks when it comes to Netflix. The company itself knows that almost half of the people who use Netflix don’t own a personal account. On that note, you can group with your friends or family and share the bill equally with everyone using the account. I suggest youbuy the Netflix Premium plan in India(Rs. 799/ month) since it allows you to connect four devices.
Note: Although this method might work, Netflix does not appreciate the use of VPN services to bypass its streaming platform. In a worst-case scenario, you won’t be able to stream anything.
Netflix Tips: Use Third-party Tools
I have no doubt Netflix does a good job providing significant features for its audience. But, it can certainly be better. Here enter third-party developers who have created some fantastic tools that significantly improve your binging experience. Let’s have a look at some of them.
Audiences trust IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes ratings for movies and TV shows before deciding to watch something. A simple extension for Chrome (and other Chromium-based browsers, including Edge and Opera) can help you out by showing the rating whenever you hover on a movie title on Netflix.
So, if you use your laptop frequently for streaming, and want to see IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes on Netflix, download the extension from the linkhere. This is one of the most common Netflix hacks or tips we have been employing to select what to watch and not get lost amid the sea of content.
If you are trying to learn a new language, watching regional movies will undoubtedly help you. However, what if it is difficult to make out what the actors are saying? Here enters this excellent extension (Free) that allows you to see dual language subtitles for any movie/ series. Thus, you can watch Squid Game in the Korean language andread both Korean and English subtitlesto better your vocabulary and pronunciation simultaneously. It is one of my favorite Netflix hacks, and I use it while watching Korean dramas.
In this work from the home era, when we are too skeptical to go to gatherings, you can still enjoy movie parties with your friends. Rave is a platform that lets you watch content on Netflix and other OTT and video streaming services in sync with your friends.
Download Rave (Free,Android|iOS|Mac and Windows)
If you didn’t know, Netflix started as a DVD rental service before becoming the streaming giant. Similarly, it now also keeps experimenting to find the next best direction. Such experimentation often ends up providing us with some exciting features to try on. Here are some of the newest features Netflix has launched recently.
TikTok introduced a pivotal moment in entertainment and how social media apps work with short video content. These days everyone from Instagram to YouTube is trying their luck on the format of the short clips. Netflix is no different in this case.Fast Laugh is a section on the Netflix mobile app that presents funny clips from TV shows and movies streaming on Netflix. You can scroll through the feed indefinitely until you decide to do some work, or if you like the clip, you can see the whole show by tapping the “Play” button.
Similar to Fast Laughs, Netflix is also testingshort clips for kids. Netflix has always given special attention to younger audiences and their content. Therefore, they are trying a different section for kids to enjoy their time seeing short animated clips. The feature is still in testing and has some striking differences from other short content platforms. It is reported that this section will probably have horizontal videos as opposed to the popular vertical ones. Moreover, there will be a limit of 15-20 videos kids can watch at a time.
Netflix has also stepped into the gaming industry bylaunching five mobile gamesin the initial stage. The gaming feature does not require any additional payment. Moreover, some of the games don’t even need a stable internet connection. It appears Netflix is trying hard to work on providing offline entertainment as well.
You can currently play Netflix games on Android and iOS devices, and they are accessible from a dedicated “Games” tab in the app. There is no mention of the feature being PC compatible as of now. However, the company has promised to create games for every kind of player.
One thing I admire about Netflix is that it gives users the ability to binge-watch their favorite shows. Once you start watching a TV show or movie on Netflix and end it without completing it, Netflix will add that to the Continue watching list. It’s an excellent feature if you want to come back to your favorite show. However, it also stores the movies and shows you didn’t like and left in the middle.
Well, you can remove such entries from the “Continue Watching” list so Netflix knows you are not interested in them and won’t bother you with similar content. Here’s how this useful Netflix trick works:
This Netflix hack works not only on the Android and iOS apps but also the browser. You will need to remove the movie or TV show from “Viewing History,” as mentioned in the previous point, to remove it from all the other devices.
You can try out experimental features Netflix is planning to roll out before anyone else. Isn’t that amazing? To do that, go to “Account Settings” and click on the “Test participation” link. Toggle on the “Include me in tests and previews” to become a beta tester for the upcoming features.
You do not have to use your mouse every time you need to access a playback option on your Mac or Windows computer. Last but not least, we have the following keyboard shortcuts for you to use while watching Netflix movies or TV shows.
Netflix is the pioneer in the OTT streaming industry and has some great content on such a large scale. It is up to us what we want to watch since there is something for everyone on Netflix, including the best anime shows as well. We discussed some cool Netflix hacks and tricks in this article to improve your binging experience. Whether you want to discover relevant content or make the most out of available features, I hope you found a few new hacks to use Netflix in a better way. If you have any more tips or tricks that we may have missed, let me know in the comments below.
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