Netflix’s vast library means there is always something new and fresh to watch, but sifting through all the options feels overwhelming. It takes time and effort to filter through shows and movies, and that’s just when you’re watching on your own. Add in another person, and the time taking rises exponentionally.
I’m not planning to leave Netflix anytime soon, but as a long time subscriber, I realized that I needed to take Netflix’s catalog into my own hands and plan some strategies to find what I want to watch much faster. No longer will I be stuck for something to watch, mindlessly scrolling until I give up and fall asleep!
Rate movies and shows for much better recommendations
It takes almost zero time, but can really boost what Netflix shows you
Loved something you just watched? Make sure to give it a two-thumbs-up rating to let Netflix know. Alternatively, if you didn’t like something, give it a thumbs-down to avoid having similar movies and shows recommended to you in the future.
There’s also a single thumbs-up rating, which is worth using if you don’t necessarily love something, but won’t mind if similar content is suggested. I’ve found that rating shows and movies I’ve watched this way has greatly improved the relevancy of suggested titles on the platform.
Set the video quality to the highest setting
It should go without saying, but it’s easily overlooked
|
Quality Setting |
Resolution / Bitrate |
Approx. Data Usage per Hour |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Low |
~240p–360p |
0.3 GB/hr |
Good for very slow connections. |
|
Medium / SD |
480p |
0.7 GB/hr |
Standard definition. |
|
High / HD |
720p / 1080p |
1–3 GB/hr |
Depends on title and device. |
|
Ultra HD / 4K |
2160p |
7 GB/hr |
Requires 4K plan and stable 25 Mbps+. |
|
Dolby Vision 4K HDR |
2160p HDR |
7–10+ GB/hr |
HDR content typically uses higher bitrates. |
|
Live Events (4K) |
2160p (variable) |
Up to ~15 GB/hr |
Netflix live streams can spike higher due to adaptive bitrate. |
Netflix has several different viewing quality options, dependent on your account type. Obviously, those subscribed to Netflix premium tier accounts have access to 4K streams, while everyone else caps out on 1080p.
But in your Netflix account settings, you can also specifically adjust quality settings (again, limited to account type) depending on your connection. So, say you’re using terrible Wi-Fi in an airport before a flight. You could switch to a streaming option that uses less data to ensure you can actually watch the show, rather than it buffering every few seconds.
- Select your profile picture in the top-right corner of the screen and select Account.
- Next, select Edit Settings.
- On the following page, hit Playback Settings.
Now, select from the data usage and streaming quality options available to you.
Clean up your watch history to get rid of outdated suggestions
Netflix tracks everything you watch, but you can remove what you want
Pretty much every streaming platform uses your viewing history to recommend new content. While this usually helps the app present a curated list of titles you’re most likely to enjoy, your recently watched history can also work against you. So, removing movies and TV shows you watched and didn’t enjoy from your watch history can help keep the offerings relevant for you.
To clean up your watch history:
- Select your profile picture, choose Manage Profiles, and select your profile.
- Select Viewing Activity to access the content you’ve recently watched.
- Tap the Hide button (indicated by a circle with a line through it) to have the title removed from your watch history.
Remove anything that you don’t want to see more of or those movies that you only watched on a whim.
Experiment with Netflix’s secret content codes to find new shows
Dial into one of Netflix best-kept secrets
The seemingly endless number of titles and constant recommendations on Netflix can keep you from discovering new content or genres that you’d like to start exploring. That’s where Netflix’s secret codes can come in handy.
These codes help you access genres that don’t usually show up on the homepage and view all the movies and shows within that specific genre. To access these collections using secret codes, open your browser and go to netflix.com/browse/genre/, followed by the code. For example, netflix.com/browse/genre/10702 brings up Spy Action & Adventure Movies.
Turn off autoplay to claim your life back
Everyone has binged way more than they meant to because of this
If you don’t move across the homepage quickly enough, Netflix auto-plays a trailer or preview of a new movie or show. Similarly, Netflix also auto-plays episodes when you reach the end of one. I find this incredibly annoying, but luckily, you can disable the setting if you don’t like this pressure and extra noise.
- Select your profile picture in the top-right corner of the screen and select Account.
- Next, select Edit Settings.
- On the following page, hit Playback Settings and uncheck the boxes beside Autoplay next episode in a series on all devices and Autoplay previews while browsing on all devices.
As suggested, this will disable the feature even when you’re watching on a smart TV, game console, or similar.
Enable Netlfix’s Smart Downloads
Never miss a show on the go again
Smart Downloads is one of the most useful Netflix features you may have missed. This feature auto-downloads TV shows and movies that you’re likely to enjoy. Any episodes you’ve downloaded and watched are also deleted automatically and replaced with new episodes from the same series.
Now, it’s worth noting that Smart Downloads is only available in the Netflix iOS and Android apps. You can’t download Netflix content on your desktop or in your browser. It’s frustrating, but Netflix has long confined it’s download feature to the mobile versions. Still, Smart Downloads is great when you’re heading on a trip and want to make sure you’ve got a few new episodes of your favorite show to watch and may have forgotten to hit download manually.
This feature isn’t available on the ad-supported Netflix plan, but it’s one of those key features that make Netflix’s premium plan worth it for me.
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If you’re sticking with Netflix, make sure to use these features
I know a lot of folks that have finally given up on Netflix recently. They’ve seen all of the other streaming platforms and have fled the Netflix-nest. But in reality, Netflix remains one of the best streaming platforms around, despite it’s well documented problems.
