Streaming subscriptions have gotten more expensive, and we’re carrying more costs related to streaming than ever before. So it is natural to want the best possible experience with your spending money. Whether finding things more easily, canceling annoying pop-ups, or simply getting more versatile experience from your Netflix subscription, we have the tips you need to ensure a seamless, hassle-free streaming experience. With these tips to help, you will soon be the family Netflix guru.
Beat the algorithm and get better recommendations
Netflix uses an algorithm to take the data it has on you and use it to craft a better future experience for you. But you don’t always want to spend hours and hours deciding on the right thing to watch with your lunch, do you? Luckily, Netflix has recently added a feature many have missed- the‘play something’ option. If you want to skip the hassle and explore something new, click that button, and you’ll be off on a unique learning experience. Of course, it’s a random pick, but that’s half the fun.
If you don’t want the Netflix algorithms create the reccomendations based on the assumption of your taste there is a way to be completely free of that. Just because you watched something doesn’t mean you enjoyed it, yet the algorithm tends to take an idea and run with it. ExpressVPN made a useful guide on how to delete your Netflix history to better tailor the suggestions for new things you will love.You can also delete that embarrassing binge-fest or secret obsession from your history so no one ever finds it. All you need to do is head to your account options, enter the ‘viewing activity’ menu, and delete the shows you’d rather forget about for good. You will receive better recommendations, and no one will ask why you were watching an endless Iron Chef marathon. If you have to pay for extra users, then they don’t need to know everything about you. It’s a win-win.
Discover new genres
Netflix has a massive catalog to explore, so why do you only ever see the same few things? The default genres are shown based on overall popularity- but you don’t have to follow the trend. Every Netflix subgenre has a specific code you can use to find it. Either manually enter the one you’d like to see, or use the Chrome extension that does the same thing. Either way, you’ll soon find what you really wantand be able to skip the tried-and-tested stalwarts.
We thought we’d left the days where unskippable scenes and dire warnings clogged up the DVD player for 10 minutes before you could watch your film. Netflix didn’t get the memo, however. If you are over those endless auto-previews, we have great news- you can turn them off! Disable ‘autoplay previews’ in the account settings menu, and you’ll be free of these annoyances forever. You can also disable the scene-in-scene previews on mouse-over here, too.
Skip the binge
Netflix and the binge-watching model go hand-in-hand. That’s not helpful if you’re susceptible to wasting time when you shouldn’t. While the odd lazy weekend spent on marathon-watching is fun, you don’t want it to become a daily habit. They leverage their auto-queueing system to keep you hooked, but you don’t have to fall for it.
You can disable auto-play setting for shows individually across different accounts. So if your spouse is better at controlling their binge-watching, or your teen needs a reminder to get off the couch and do their chores, you can set this permission user-by-user and improve the whole family’s experience.
Take a shortcut
Keyboard shortcuts for Netflix? Yes, they are a thing! Of course, you need to be watching on a device with a keyboard in the first place, but it can make tablet, mobile, or laptop watching a lot more efficient. There’s a wealth of them out there, so try a few and serifs that enhance your streaming experience.
Improve the commute, save your data
Streaming onthego is a wonderful way to pass the time. But any parent of young children knows the sinking feeling of finding out your little one blew your month’s data budget by skipping through shows on your tablet in the back seat. Think of this one a little like Google Maps’ offline mode. You choose something to watch on your commute or for the kids to enjoy as you drive, and download it while you have access to a solid connection. Then their ‘on the go’ functionality lets you access it without the need to stream thenandthere. No more waiting for something to buffer and unexpected data costs. Just seamless viewing on demand. Remember that the number of devices you can do this on is limited by your plan and not available for the new ad-supported tier.
Find more
That huge catalog is a compelling reason to keep your Netflix subscription- but how do you find anything within it? We’ve given you a few tips to make finding new content easier, but that might not be enough for you. Or maybe you just want to stay up-to-date on what’s hot around the water cooler at work.
This relys on using the web, not a native Netflix function, but you won’t be sorry you discovered it, either. There are many sites online- we like JustWatch- that offer a smoother search function and better category searches for Netflix. You can hunt down something specific or just improve your general search function. Either way, you’ll never miss out again.
These easy Netflix tweaks create a better, smoother, and more relevant streaming experience. You’ll get a streaming experience that’s more tailored to your wants and needs, can better control how you enjoy your subscription and have a lot more fun too- and what could be better than that?
