Summary
Netflix is obviously a great streamer for providing an endless flow of binge-worthy movies and shows. But when it comes to usability, there’s still plenty of room for improvement.
To that end, here’s my list of seven features that I think Netflix should already have, but doesn’t. I’m not asking Netflix to invent anything new, just a few features that its competitors already have.
1Watch With Friends—No Browser Extension Required
I was surprised to find out Netflix doesn’t already have a nativewatch party feature. To stream with friends, I had to install a clunky browser extension. The sync wasn’t reliable, and the timestamps kept drifting. Plus, extensions only work on desktop. Netflix should have a built-in watch party mode that works seamlessly across all platforms: TV, desktop, mobile, and tablet.
It’d be nice to have a chat box or voice call feature too. Maybe it could be a little more souped-up than just a basic chat window. Maybe you could leave little emoji reactions, or timestamp moments easily within the chat to refer to a scene.
2Warn Me When I’m on Mobile Data
Stop me if you’ve done this. You are bingeing a show and halfway through, to your horror, you realize you have been using your mobile data the entire time. It’d be amazing if Netflix could warn me (before I press play) that I’m about to stream on data, and should consider switching to Wi-Fi.
Stremio(a peer-based streaming platform) does it by default. It shows you a little pop-up warning when you’re trying to stream using data. You can swipe away the warning to continue, or switch to Wi-Fi and it goes away.
Netflix should borrow that feature. It’s a little thing, but the payoff would be worth it next time you order an Uber in public only to realize you’re out of data.
3Incognito Mode
Netflix has already slashed its sharing features within an inch of their lives. Remember when you could just give anyone your Netflix password, and they could create their own profile and leave you out of it? Netflix always had a five-profile limit, but now it wants to decide who can access these profiles and when.
Profiles are a precious commodity now, evidently, and even if you’re not sharing one, there is no way to keep your watch history private, short of locking it down with yet another PIN you have to remember.
For this, I’d suggest an incognito mode in the Netflix app, which will serve two purposes. First, you could let guests access your Netflix profile in incognito to keep your watch history private. Second, their search and watch histories wouldn’t mess up your recommendations.
If you are using someone else’s profile, use incognito so you won’t be messing with their recommendations either. Plus, it’ll give you a fresh view of the Netflix library every time, and you might find some new stuff you like without the algorithm deciding for you.
4Mute Loud Intros and Trailers
Netflix can learn a thing or two from YouTube when it comes to previewing its content. When you hover over a title card, you will inevitably have to bear the foghorn that’s tacked on in every trailer ever. It’s worse on TV because the navigation is unreliable. Right now,you can disable auto previews, but a simple mute option built-in by default would be a nice touch.
YouTube does this so much better. When you hover over a video, it just starts playing silently with a tiny progress bar, and if you tap the video at any point to load that video, it’ll start where you left it in the preview. That’s the only right way to do streaming previews, and it’ll deliver us from the foghorn in the middle of the living room.
5Filter by Runtime
This is a feature I haven’t seen on any streaming platform yet (if you have, let me know), but for me, the fastest way to pick something to watch would be by its runtime.
You can scroll through the entire Netflix library while your dinner gets cold and still not find anything worth watching. You should be able to sort through your library (or even a search) in more ways, including by the length of the show or movie you’re looking for.
Say you have a 20-minute break—you might scroll through a section like “20-minute Crowd Pleasers” or something like that. Want to something you can get through in 90 minutes before bed? Boom. The same could work for 30-minute, 40-minute, or 60-minute titles. There should be a filter like that in search too.
6Mark Titles “Watched” to Hide Them
You should be able to scroll the Netflix library for a good while without running into the same titles again. It has more than enough content for that, but for some reason, every single row somehow has the same titles cropping up over and over. Worse, it includes titles you have already watched.
Netflix recommendations are in desperate need of an overhaul. The first step could be as simple as allowing you to hide stuff you have already watched.
You could even take it a step further. Forget using a second app to track the shows you have already seen. Your watched shows could automatically pool in a “Watched” list next to the downloads. The next time someone asks what your favorite show is, you can just show them your watched list. Perhaps they could even produce a “Netflix Wrapped” list at the end of the year, so you can show everyone that one comfort show you binged a dozen times.
7Less Algorithm, More Human Curation
Let me be the millionth person to say this. What happened to editor’s picks and human-curated recommendations? I remember the time when opening Netflix felt like an experience because it greeted you with a thoughtful list of titles that you would actually enjoy exploring.
Those lists weren’t just a bunch of vaguely related titles that an algorithm cobbled together. There was a time when actual humans would craft editorial lists of titles and present them to you with a tasteful title. The clever titles remain, but the substance is gone. Let’s bring humans back into the mix, please.Mubidoes this, and it’s part of their signature experience that makes it so much more personal.
Netflix is the king of the streamers, but a few thoughtful features and nice touches could make it even better. From smart data warnings and an incognito mode that protects user privacy, to tools that enable more enjoyment and sharing with friends, I’ve got my fingers crossed for these to see the light of day. And if not, I have loads more ideas to improve Netflix where they came from. I’ll bring them to you too if you liked reading these.
