Netflix trial ‘shuffle play’ feature to choose for you

We all know the hardest part of using Netflix is choosing something to watch – but now you don’t have to.

Netflix has tens of thousands of titles at the press of a button, which is great when you can actually choose something to watch.

The rest of the time you spend scrolling though algorithmically suggested shows and movies, maybe watching the annoying trailers that play automatically if you don’t turn them off, or occasionally adding one to your list of titles you want to watch but just not right now.

I be scrolling through Netflix for like 45 mins just to click the same movie I been seen like 6 times.

— 5’4 on a good day. (@ImLittleNick) August 19, 2020

Does anybody else sit there scrolling through Netflix and never fancy anything on offer?

— Nicola #NotMyPM #SaveOurNHS (@nikpet1) June 18, 2020

Mental health baseline:

Picking something to watch on Netflix stresses me out

— yc (@yc) June 30, 2016

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But now Netflix is finally providing an option for indecisive viewers who miss the comfort of terrestrial television and the fact that something is always just on.

The streaming video on demand pioneer is trialling a new “Play Something” feature that will pick and play a title picked by its algorithm based on what you’ve watched in the past or what you’ve saved to your playlists.

The shuffle play button appearing on a Netflix user’s TV. Picture: Twitter/Turner Levison

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According to Variety, the new feature is meant to overcome the choice paralysis of having a virtually endless collection of content.

“The purpose of the test is to make it easier for members to find something to watch,” a Netflix spokesperson said.

Netflix is using the trial to decide whether to roll the feature out more widely, but “the hope is to absolutely productise something,” the Netflix spokesperson told Variety.

Interesting new feature @netflix ... but what kind of insane person just says, “yolo, let’s spin the Netflix wheel of fortune” pic.twitter.com/6WDJrmd7pG

— Turner Levison (@TurnerLevison) August 18, 2020

On Twitter, one woman wrote that shuffle play on Netflix “might be the best idea yet”, while another said “whoever thought that up in the board room deserves a promotion”.

The feature is currently limited to the Netflix app on Smart TVs and while the trial is worldwide it isn’t being offered to all users yet.

To check if it’s available for you, open the Netflix app on your connected TV.

A “shuffle play” button will appear under the profile screen, on the home screen of your profile or in the sidebar menu of your TV.