11 Netflix Hacks to Make Binge-Watching So Much Better

By Ann-Marie Alcántara

Updated on 1/6/2017 at 6:45 PM

Source: POPSUGAR Photography | THEM TOO
Source: POPSUGAR Photography | THEM TOO

Calling all Netflix fans! Whether you binge-watch or just occasionally browse, your streaming experience is about to get so much better. Sure, sitting back and watching all your favorite shows is easy enough, but you can also sync up and watch with a friend, improve what Netflix suggests, and much more. Read on to see how you can improve the experience and make your next Friday night in an amazing one.

  1. Clear your history: Are you embarrassed about giving into nostalgia and watching an old episode of Gilmore Girls? You can easily shake that by heading into "Your Account" on the top right corner and clicking on "Viewing Activity." From there, just tap the "X" to clear whatever it is you watched.

  2. Find a new genre of movies to watch: Stuck on what to watch? You can use the secret Netflix genre codes to find all sorts of categories of movies and shows. Use the URL, http://www.netflix.com/browse/genre/INSERTNUMBER, and then plug in a genre code from the list that What's on Netflix has.
  3. Use only high-quality playback: Some of us just want to watch in the best resolution possible when we're at home and it's super easy to set that up. Head to your account again, tap on "Playback Settings", and set your preference to high.
  4. Save your data plan: Watching Netflix on the go has its perks, except when it comes to your data plan. In order to use the least amount of data possible, head back to "Playback Settings" and set it to low.
  5. Change the size (and color!) of your closed-captioning: You'll find this setting in your account, under "Subtitle Appearance". Click on that and you can change the size, font, shadow, and color of the text.

  6. Kick your ex off your account: It's no secret that we all share passwords for streaming services, but sometimes those relationships end and it's time to get back what you pay for. To kick someone off your account, head to "Settings", tap on "Sign out of all devices", and boom — now that person can't get back into your account!
  7. Memorize all the keyboard shortcuts: There are several, but the most useful ones are hitting "F" for full screen, "M" to mute, "Enter" to play and pause, and using the up and down keys to adjust the volume. For more advanced users, hitting shift and the left arrow will rewind a show, and holding shift and the right arrow will fast forward.
  8. Get a slew of extra information about shows and movies: With the NEnhancer, a Google Chrome extension, you can see IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes ratings, trailers, and plenty more that will help you pick out a great movie or show. If you don't want to download the extension, Rotten Tomatoes has a section devoted to what you can watch on Netflix (and other streaming services).

  9. Watch with your friends: Thanks to a handy Google Chrome extension, Showgoers, you can sync up and watch something with your friend at the same time. Both of you just need to install the extension and pick a film or series, and it should sync flawlessly.
  10. Pick something to watch without trying: It's always hard to choose a single movie or show, but two websites exist to solve that. Flix Roulette lets you set a preference and it will choose a movie for you. A Good Movie to Watch has movies you might not have heard of to watch on Netflix.
  11. Skip those pauses: Indulge in your binge-watching and use Netflix Pause Removal, a Chrome extension that lets you skip the 15 seconds in between episodes.

Looks like "Netflix and chill" just got a little easier.