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10 useful Netflix hacks you probably never knew about

These features open up a whole new world

10 useful Netflix hacks you probably never knew about
24 April 2017

Let’s say it like it is: we all just want to spend our entire lives streaming all of our favourite shows and films on Netflix. But what happens when you can’t stream all of that stuff fast enough?

To make life a little smoother we’ve rounded up some of the most useful tips to improve your Netflix viewing experience.

From monitoring your data to improving the subtitles, there’s plenty here to make your life easier.

1. Secret codes

Netflix experts will know that there are thousands of secret codes, giving users a much easier way to find content that might be hidden by the limited genre or search options.

All you have to do is head to Netflix.com/browse/genre/2851, take the final four digits and replace them with the ID codes here to browse films by unfiltered genre.

2. Switch browsers

It turns out that different browsers will give you different quality viewing experiences – and the best browser is Microsoft Edge, which lets you go up to 4K resolution, according to the Independent.

3. Delete your history

If you’ve been sneakily watching Stranger Things without telling your flatmate who you promised to view every episode with, there’s a sneaky way of covering your tracks. Simply head to Netflix’s Viewing Activity page in the Account menu and delete the episodes.

4. Try out new features

If you’d like to take part in Netflix tests and see potential changes before they are available to all members, head to Account and click Test participation.

5. Monitor your data

If you want to reduce the amount of data your Netflix habit is using, you can lower the playback quality. Low quality burns through roughly about 0.3GB of data per hour. Just go to Playback Settings in the Account page.

6. Request a show

Ever thought you’d be a better programme commissioner than Netflix? Well, you can request a TV show or film that you’d love to see on the platform. All you need to do is head to help.netflix.com/en/TitleRequest.

7. Improve the subtitles

When you’re watching a fascinating foreign drama on Netflix like Under the Shadow or The Wailing, the last thing you want is to miss the dialogue because of dodgy subtitles. To make them easier to read, go to Subtitle Appearance in the Account Menu and alter the settings to suit you best.

8. Remove unwanted watchers

If you suspect a friend or family member is using your Netflix account without your permission, you can give them the boot by going to the Account page and selecting Sign Out of All Devices.

9. Manual ordering

If you’d like to choose your order suggestions (rather than rely on Netflix), go to netflix.com/MyListOrder.

10. Come back when you’re ready

If you take a break from Netflix and cancel your membership, your Viewing Activity, recommendations and ratings will still be saved for 10 months.

(Images: iStock / Netflix)