Netflix will soon roll out a “shuffle play” feature to aid users who are unsure about what content they want to watch.
Execs from the streaming service confirmed to Variety that the option will become a permanent feature during the first half of 2021. It has been available as a test feature to Netflix users who stream via connected TV platforms since July 2020. Netflix also toyed around with a random-episode option in 2019, for certain TV shows on its Android app.
Not knowing what to watch on Netflix is a common quip among users of the service, and COO and chief product officer Greg Peters noted that as the main reason the feature will now be commonplace. He detailed during the brand’s recent fourth-quarter earnings that many users appreciate the option to skip browsing entirely and get right to watching content.
The option shows up on the Netflix main “Who’s watching Netflix?” screen when users log in. Instead of selecting a personal profile, users can select “Play Something” or “Shuffle Play,” which will then likely pull up a show or movie that is similar to the content they already watch on the service. However, the final name for the feature has not yet been confirmed.
Netflix has been doing a lot to ensure that members are satisfied with their experience. The brand added a “New & Popular” tab in October 2020 to help users better navigate the browsing screen to find content they might enjoy. Such tweaks to the service appear to be paying off as the company announced that it surpassed 200 million subscribers in 2020 and is looking forward to an even more lucrative 2021.
The current pandemic has surely helped account for a lot of the additional business, with 8.5 million paid net subscribers signing up for the service during the fourth quarter of 2020. Netflix has also put a considerable focus on its original content, with a number of series, including The Queen’s Gambit and Bridgerton drawing some of the largest numbers of viewers the service has ever seen.
