16 Netflix Power User Tips You Should Have in Your Back Pocket - CNET

1 year ago 44

Some of you whitethorn see yourselves Netflix aficionados, but you astir apt aren't privy to each of its tricks. Sure, you can clear your "Continue Watching" row and bask its roster of mobile games, but you tin usage immoderate much obscure aspects, too. Whether it's finessing the proposal algorithm oregon punching successful concealed genre codes arsenic shortcuts, the streaming service can beryllium tweaked successful aggregate ways. You tin tighten up security, upgrade your viewing acquisition and much by pursuing these tips. 

CNET Tech Tips logo

Easily find Netflix Originals

Tired of Googling "Netflix amusement astir monsters"? Take your browsing skills to caller heights by digging for Netflix originals with 1 hunt term: "Netflix." Open the Netflix app and popular the brand's sanction successful the hunt barroom and it volition bring up each archetypal Netflix movie and bid ever released.

Take it a measurement further to find Netflix's interactive specials. Go beyond Black Mirror: Bandersnatch and propulsion up each the platform's programming wherever you tin determine what happens successful the adjacent scene. Type "interactive" successful the hunt container and this acceptable of Netflix originals volition appear, including the titles for kids. 

You tin usage this aforesaid method to find contented that runs successful 4K oregon HDR. Type successful either word and Netflix's hunt results volition instrumentality titles that show successful that format. Keep successful caput that determination is simply a constricted magnitude of Netflix contented that displays successful 4K oregon HDR.

Get assistance with uncovering thing to watch

My slightest favourite portion of settling into an evening of Netflix is choosing what to watch. I rapidly get mislaid successful Netflix's endless grid of thumbnails and go paralyzed by choice. Sure, there's the Surprise Me enactment to person Netflix prime thing for you, but I'm excessively picky to cede full power to the algorithm. There are galore sites that effort to marque consciousness of Netflix's immense catalog of shows and movies, but 2 of my favorites are Flixable and JustWatch. Each tract shows you what's caller and fashionable connected Netflix with adjuvant filters that fto you drill down to find thing to watch. 

Netflix hidden codes unlock categories

By now, you whitethorn person heard speech of hidden codes for subcategories successful Netflix, overmuch similar Starbucks' concealed menu. These exist. Narrow down your hunt for titles successful a circumstantial genre by utilizing peculiar codes erstwhile viewing successful a web browser. 

With truthful overmuch to benignant through, this instrumentality tin assistance you easy find anime, enactment and adventure, sports movies, musicals and much with the close code. Because Netflix inactive adds caller codes to the lineup, you tin find adjacent the astir circumstantial of categories, similar 81603903 for "Short-Ass Movies" oregon 3272152 for "Don't Watch Hungry." Type "netflix.com/browse/genre/" successful your browser followed by the magic digits. Check CNET's instructions connected wherever to find the benignant of movies you're looking for, and if you truly privation to spell down the rabbit hole, travel the guide consecutive from Netflix

netflix hidden codes

An illustration of Netflix codes.

Screenshot by CNET

Delete embarrassing binges

Your embarrassing binges request not instrumentality around. You tin delete your moments of weakness and nostalgia from your ticker past to region immoderate accidental of aboriginal shame. And successful doing so, you'll amended recommendations from Netflix, since it won't usage your caller Too Hot to Handle binge arsenic a usher for aboriginal suggestions. On a laptop, caput to your Account page, grow the options for your illustration nether the Profile & Parental Controls conception and past click the tiny View nexus to the close of Viewing activity. For thing you'd similar to fell from your history, conscionable click the ellipse with a slash done it connected the right.

Control your video connected a keyboard

Do you thin to ticker Netflix connected a computer? If you do, you whitethorn trust connected a rodent to pause, rewind oregon power the volume. But determination are keyboard shortcuts for that. 

  • Spacebar or enter: Toggle intermission and play.
  • Tap the right or left arrow key: Skip up oregon backmost 10 seconds.
  • Hold down the right or left arrow key: Fast-forward and rewind successful 10-second increments. 
  • Up and down arrow key: Raise and little volume.
  • M key: Mute and unmute.
  • F key: Toggle afloat surface connected and off.
  • S key: Skip the intro of tv shows.
  • Esc cardinal to exit afloat screen.

Adjust your information usage

I cognize plentifulness of radical who emotion to ticker Netflix connected their mobile phones oregon tablets. For those with constricted data, that tin devour up a large chunk, depending connected the video quality. However, you tin tinker with the information usage to little the magnitude for your device.

Open the Netflix app connected your telephone and pat the More icon oregon your profile. Click connected App Settings and navigate to Video Playback to prime Cellular Data Usage. Per Netflix's help section, alteration your download setup to Wi-Fi Only to debar draining your mobile plan's data. Note that this volition lone popular up if your instrumentality operates with cellular data.

You tin besides alteration your Netflix information usage settings from your web browser for each your screens, including mobile. Open your illustration connected your relationship leafage and click Playback Settings. There are 4 options: Auto (the default), Low (up to 0.3GB per hour), Medium (up to 0.7GB per hour) and High -- the champion for HD -- which uses 3GB an hr for HD streams and 7GB for Ultra HD streaming. The little the quality, the little information is consumed. Remember to save your settings.

Want to debar these steps? Your different enactment is to download episodes oregon movies to ticker offline.

netflix playback settings screen

Netflix's information usage and playback settings.

Screenshot by Kourtnee Jackson/CNET

Use Audio Description for narration

A lesser-known diagnostic connected Netflix is the Audio Description function, which tin beryllium beneficial for visually impaired viewers. When you activate it, a voice-over gives a statement of what's happening onscreen during a amusement oregon movie. A dependable describes the facial expressions, clothing, scenery, carnal movements and different elements arsenic they happen.

Netflix says astir of its originals person Audio Description available, and it works for immoderate different titles connected the level too. To crook it on, statesman playing a video connected your device. Mobile instrumentality oregon machine users tin pat their screens, portion astute TVs, Apple TV oregon gaming consoles volition request to usage the distant control.

Select the Dialogue icon container to spot which languages Audio Description is disposable for and take your option.

Change the look of your subtitles

Enjoying the latest overseas rubric streaming connected Netflix? Dubs are cool, but immoderate viewers similar to ticker definite contented like K-dramas and anime successful their archetypal connection with subtitles. You tin set the subtitle settings for font type, size, substance shadowing oregon background.

You'll request to unfastened Netflix successful a web browser and prime a illustration from the relationship page. Click connected Subtitle Appearance to alteration the settings and past click Save. This tin beryllium done for each illustration connected your Netflix account. You whitethorn person to reload the app connected your TV for the changes to instrumentality effect. If you don't similar the caller setup, simply take "Reset to default" to reconstruct the erstwhile subtitle settings.

netflix subtitle settings

Netflix's subtitle settings.

Screenshot by Kourtnee Jackson/CNET

Lock down your profile

Do you stock your Netflix relationship with idiosyncratic who occasionally watches worldly connected your profile? Maybe your tween likes to sneak-watch Riverdale oregon different amusement that's meant for mature audiences. If you privation to forestall others connected your relationship from messing up your proposal flow, popular a pin connected your profile. Head to your relationship leafage from a web browser and scroll to the Profile & Parental Controls settings. Click alteration connected Profile Lock, and participate your relationship password erstwhile prompted. Check the container wherever it says, "Require a PIN to entree XYZ's profile." Enter a four-digit PIN.

You'll person to benignant it successful each clip you unfastened the app and click connected your profile, but you'll beryllium the lone 1 privy to this information.

Transfer a profile

With Netflix poised to complaint subaccount fees for password sharing, you whitethorn privation to nudge your friends, household oregon exes into getting their ain memberships. You tin bash that by utilizing the illustration transportation feature, which allows users to relocate their profiles to a caller relationship portion keeping their idiosyncratic watchlists, settings, recommendations, games and viewing past intact. Hover implicit your illustration icon and click Transfer Profile successful the menu. Select Allow to alteration the feature. You'll person an email notification wrong 2 days to fto you cognize the diagnostic is on, and anyone connected your relationship who activates their ain rank volition beryllium capable to determination their profiles. You tin besides toggle the transportation illustration diagnostic connected oregon disconnected by heading to your relationship leafage and clicking connected it successful the Settings section. 

Netflix's transportation  illustration   instructions connected  screen

Allow folks connected your relationship to determination their profiles. 

Screenshot by Kourtnee Jackson/CNET

Kick immoderate instrumentality disconnected your Netflix account

While illustration transportation is simply a bully mode to get escaped of radical connected your account, Netflix's latest diagnostic enables you to remotely log retired of idiosyncratic devices. It boosts information and nary conversations are needed with exes, Airbnb hosts, oregon anyone else. Visit your Account page, scroll down to Security & Privacy and click Manage Access and Devices. A database of precocious utilized devices volition popular up, and you tin motion retired of immoderate of them, 1 by one.

Put a halt to autoplay

Once you start, it tin beryllium hard to stop. If you find your Netflix binging habits are spiraling retired of power due to the fact that Netflix starts up the adjacent occurrence of a amusement instantly pursuing the extremity of your existent episode, you tin halt it. The aforesaid goes for previews. Go to your Account page, click the relationship you privation to alteration the settings for and past click Playback settings to unfastened a caller page. At the apical of the caller page, uncheck the container adjacent to Autoplay adjacent occurrence successful a bid connected each devices. 

For previews, uncheck the container adjacent to Autoplay previews portion browsing connected each devices. Click Save aft making your changes. Not lone volition previews halt erstwhile you archetypal unfastened Netflix, but present moving your rodent implicit a amusement won't origin a preview to play either.

You tin crook disconnected autoplay for each profile, which means you tin proceed your binging ways but crook it disconnected for your kids' account.

Read more: Netflix Parental Controls: 2 Ways to Keep Kids Away From Things They Shouldn't Watch

Check your bit-rate stats

Wondering what the streaming prime is for your favourite show? Check the spot complaint with Netflix's "Stats for nerds" menu. A higher spot complaint equals higher video quality. With your video open, press Ctrl + Shift + Alt + D connected your laptop keyboard to cheque retired your spot complaint speed, buffering authorities and framework rate. On this screen, HD viewers tin corroborate velocity and resolution. 

Some astute TV models are susceptible of pulling up these stats too, but you'll request a distant power with an Info button. Click it arsenic your Netflix video plays to cheque the nerd stats. For Roku users, take a amusement oregon movie and earlier pressing play, deed the asterisk fastener doubly to spot the numbers. Click it doubly again to disable the view.

You'll privation to intermission your video truthful you tin seizure the codification accusation without missing immoderate scenes from your favourite show. The different catch? You can't edit immoderate of those stats if you're successful the temper for a debugging session.

Bit-rate accusation isn't lone absorbing for the technically minded, it tin assistance erstwhile you're facing streaming issues oregon buffering. For example, it tin usher you wherever to determination your router oregon streaming instrumentality to amended your Wi-Fi signal.

Really emotion a show? Give it 2 thumbs up

This past April, Netflix launched a caller feature: Two Thumbs Up. As portion of its proposal system, this signifies your passionateness for a rubric and helps Netflix location successful connected what you truly similar to watch. Though the modular thumbs-up and thumbs-down icons let you to springiness a basal standing to a amusement oregon film, clicking 2 thumbs prompts feedback that reads, "We cognize you're a existent fan!"

You tin usage this enactment portion watching Netflix connected your TV, web browser oregon mobile device. The streamer notes that if you pat Two Thumbs Up to explicit your emotion for a circumstantial TV bid oregon movie, the strategy volition drill down and urge much titles related to the formed members, accumulation teams, quality types oregon niche genres affiliated with your pick. 

twothumbsup-tv-netflix.png

Let Netflix cognize what you privation with 2 thumbs up.

Netflix

Set up notifications for shows and movies

While Netflix whitethorn already email you astir what's coming soon oregon recently added movies that "you mightiness like," you tin instrumentality matters into your ain hands by activating alerts wrong the app. Set up reminders for titles that are arriving successful the adjacent future. For example, The Sandman debuts connected Aug. 5. Rather than trust connected representation oregon Google for the information, you tin navigate to the show's rubric page and click Remind Me to person a notification from Netflix erstwhile it drops. It volition besides beryllium automatically added to My List once it's disposable to stream.

You tin besides alteration propulsion notifications connected your telephone oregon tablet for the app. Netflix volition alert you with recommendations and caller TV amusement oregon movie releases. 

Download shows to spell

Netflix lets you download shows truthful you tin ticker them connected the go. I impulse you to download Netflix shows arsenic portion of your packing regular for immoderate household car travel that'll instrumentality longer than 3 hours. You tin download Netflix shows and movies connected immoderate instrumentality that supports the Netflix app -- iPads and iPhones, Android phones and tablets, Fire tablets, Windows devices and Chromebooks. The biggest omission is Macs, since there's nary Netflix app for MacOS.

To download a amusement oregon movie, conscionable click oregon pat the Download fastener adjacent to a listing. Keep successful caput that not each amusement oregon movie connected Netflix is disposable for download. All of your downloaded shows and movies are conveniently listed connected the Download tab successful the app.

And to forestall your kid from moving up information charges successful the backseat of the household wagon portion you're cruising down the highway, you tin artifact them from downloading contented portion connected cellular service. In the app, spell to App Settings connected your Account leafage and marque definite Wi-Fi Only is toggled on. While you're here, you mightiness besides privation to marque definite that Smart Downloads is enabled. It downloads the adjacent occurrence of a amusement you're watching and deletes the antecedently downloaded episodes aft you ticker them.

One past thing: There is simply a bounds to the fig of devices connected which you tin store downloads. One instrumentality for the Basic plan; 2 for Standard; 4 for Premium. You tin negociate your devices by going to your Account leafage and clicking Manage download devices. Here, you tin region a instrumentality (wiping each of its downloads) truthful that you tin download contented connected different device.

Want recommendations astir what to watch? Check retired our picks for the best moviestelevision shows or documentaries to ticker connected Netflix. 

Now playing: Watch this: Secret Netflix codes: Discover amended streaming recommendations...

2:15

Read Entire Article