How to Use Netflix’s Play Something Shuffle Feature.
The sheer amount of content available on streaming services can sometimes be both a strength and a weakness of the platforms. It’s great to have such a huge number of movies and shows to choose from, but the actual selection part can be tricky when there are so many things you want to watch. This can result in you spending a lot of time scrolling when you could just be watching a TV show or movie.
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Netflix understands its viewer’s dilemma and has added a feature that can help reduce the number of decisions. It’s called Play Something and works almost like the shuffle feature for shows and movies. We will show you this feature and explain how its algorithm works to choose what to play for you.
How to Use the Play Something Feature
The Play Something feature is available when you watch Netflix on your TV or Android device. It is not available when watching Netflix in other ways, such as desktop. For smartphone users, when you open the Netflix app, you will notice a new pill-shaped button in the bottom right corner. It will say “Play something” or “Surprise me” or just two curved arrows.
To use the Play Something feature on other supported devices such as TVs, follow these steps:
Open the Netflix app.
On the profile selection screen, hover over your profile name.
Below it, you’ll see a “Play My Channel” button. Select this to have Netflix play the suggested show or movie.
You can also find “Play Something” in the Netflix navigation menu or in the in-show row on the Netflix home page.
You can click the “Play Something Else” button after receiving a show/movie to get a new one. This time, it will include shows that you haven’t finished on your Watchlist yet or that are on the My List page.
You can exit the Play Something app by opening the Netflix player and selecting Exit or the back arrow on Android.
If you can’t find the “Play Something” feature, there may be several reasons for this. First, if you’re a new Netflix member, you’ll only be able to see this feature after a month of using the service.
Also, Play Something is not supported on Apple TV devices, desktop computers, and iPhones.
How Does Play Something Work?
Netflix does a great job of tracking people’s viewing habits to determine which shows and movies they’re most likely to want to watch. This information is integrated into the Netflix algorithm for the Play Something feature to help you choose something to watch right now, instead of wasting time making a decision.
When you use this feature, Netflix takes into account your past viewing habits and chooses recommended shows or movies that it thinks are similar to what you’ve watched before. For this reason, it’s best to use the Play Something feature on a profile where only you watch programs, otherwise your recommendations won’t be tailored to you.
For the same reason, new Netflix users cannot use the Play Something feature. Netflix takes some time to learn about your viewing habits, and for the best choices you’re most likely to want to watch, the service wants to have a solid month of your viewing history.
When Was Play Something Introduced?
The Play Something feature hasn’t always been on Netflix. It debuted on the platform in April 2021 for every Netflix member. Until then, it was just a test feature available only to some users.
Since its release for TV and Android users, it has gradually rolled out to more platforms. Eventually, you will be able to use the Play Something feature on all Netflix-enabled devices such as iOS and Apple TV. Until then, you can only use it on some devices.
The release of Play Something followed the introduction of a very similar new feature, Downloads For You. This feature automatically downloads shows and movies that Netflix thinks you’ll enjoy. All of these features are designed to keep viewers on the app and not be distracted by tens of hundreds of other streaming services.
Netflix is trying to compete for people’s attention with social media like YouTube and TikTok. In March 2021, they introduced a Fast Laughs feature that mimics short and instant TikTok videos by previewing scenes from Netflix shows to lure viewers into watching full-length episodes.
Spend Less Time Choosing What to Watch
With Play Something, you can significantly reduce the time-consuming process of choosing a show or movie. As your past browsing habits are used to present new entertainment, you are likely to find something you enjoy. Plus, you can play up to 75 different shows using Play Something, so you’re sure to discover something new to enjoy and binge watch.
Do you think the Netflix Play Something feature is useful? Let us know in the comments below.
How to Use Netflix’s Play Something Shuffle Feature
How to Use Netflix’s Play Something Shuffle Feature