Changing these Netflix settings transforms your homepage and makes picking a show easier
We've all had that feeling of dread when you're scrolling through Netflix and seeing nothing that you actually want to watch, yet there are actually hidden settings on the streaming service that can make selecting your new film or series easier than ever.
It can even get to the point where you spend more time looking than you would watching a film or a couple of episodes of TV, but tweaking just a handful of settings can make Netflix feel like a completely different app.
Shared by Alvin on X, he details how one woman was struggling to get the most out of her Netflix subscription for years, before a former UI engineer at the streaming service came in with some game-changing tips.
Disabling autoplay previews
One of the best things you can do to improve your Netflix experience overall is to disable autoplay previews that occur when you hover over any show or film for a couple of seconds.
These trailers might be helpful to some people who want to see more than just a poster or synopsis before they watch, but they can make the experience overwhelming and can even distract you while you're browsing through the selection.
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To disable this, simply head into your Account settings, click on the Profile option, and then go into Playback Settings. From there, uncheck 'Autoplay previews while browsing on all devices'.
Disabling autoplay next episode
This particular setting can be a game-changer if you like to tune into Netflix at night before bed, as having it enabled can ruin your enjoyment of so many shows as it continues to go through episodes long after you've already dozed off.
Heading back into the Playback Settings from the previous tip, you'll want to uncheck 'Autoplay next episode in a series on all devices'.
It won't make that much of an impact on your day-to-day watching as picking the next episode takes only a few seconds, but can prevent any confusing instances where you feel out of the loop with a show you like to watch at night.
Removing watch history
While this might seem like a wild thing to change, as it effectively equates to starting your Netflix account from scratch, resetting your algorithm after years of use can actually help you discover new things that you might not have noticed before.
Your recommendations on Netflix are primarily based on what you've watched or shown interest in previously, and that often includes things you've clicked on for a couple of seconds or even shows that other people might have watched on your account.
Resetting that completely gives your account a clean slate to be based upon what you're actually interested in right now, and you might even rediscover things that you watched years ago and view them in a new light.
To purge your watch history, simply head into the Account settings page, find the Profile & Parental Controls section, navigate to Viewing Activity, and then elect the 'Hide All' option at the bottom of the page.
Start rating everything
It might not be a setting per se, but rating everything you watch both good and bad is arguably one of the best things you can do to transform your algorithm, as you're directly letting Netflix know what you like and don't like.
Watching but not rating is interpreted by the algorithm as a thumbs up to everything, but explicitly signalling when something is the best things you've watched in ages or bottom of the barrel trash prods the streaming service into serving you similar things you should also like, or keeping things away that you're likely to hate.
Prioritize video quality
A surprising number of Netflix subscribers aren't actually getting the most out of what they're paying for, as while you might be forking out money each month for a 4K-capable subscription, your settings could be preventing you from accessing the highest resolutions.
This is likely to do with the amount of data that your account allows Netflix to access, meaning that it automatically selects lower resolutions as a means of saving internet bandwidth and freeing up your Wi-Fi despite you likely having plenty to go around.
Heading into the Account menu, then Profile, and finally Playback Settings allows you to adjust the data usage setting from 'Auto' to 'High', effectively unlocking the potential of your account and making the highest resolution content look even better when you're watching it.
Clean up continue watching
Another thing that can put you off certain shows or films, and can also clutter up your home screen is the dreaded 'Continue Watching' section, as there's a good chance this is bloated with things you barely touched and will likely never return to.
There's no way to clear this in one single move, but selecting the three dots on each one allows you to clear your watch progress, and it takes no more than a few minutes to enact a change that will transform your Netflix experience going forward.
Accessing secret genres and categories
Last but certainly not least is the ability to access secret genres and category codes that Netflix effectively hides from you when you're using the app. There are more than 2,200 hidden categories on the streaming service, yet scrolling through your home page you're only likely to be given around 30.
Being able to view these gives the potential to see films and shows that you likely didn't even know were on the service, and having a look through for even just a few minutes can expand your watchlist significantly.
You'll need to access this through a browser rather than the app itself, but typing in the URL, 'netflix.com/browse/genre/x', replacing the 'x' with the category code lands you on that very page.
For example, using the category code '10702' (netflix.com/browse/genre/10702) gives you all of the 'Spy action & adventure' content on the service, and websites like Netflix-Codes give you a full list that you can choose from.