Netflix may be packed with content today, but it’s lost some magic along the way. These five features once made streaming on Netflix savvier, more social, and plain better—and I seriously want them back.
5
Interactive Shows
One of Netflix’s most innovative features for watching was interactive shows. Unfortunately, Netflix has delisted all but four interactive shows on the platform, according to Kotaku, and who knows how long the remaining titles will stay up.
Unlike typical movies and TV shows with a fixed storyline, interactive shows allow you, the viewer, to make choices that affect the storyline, making it engaging.
For instance, in Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, you can make different choices for the characters as you watch the movie—whether they select this cereal or the other, play this tape or the other, and more. Interactive shows brought a new level of engagement to the traditional passive viewing model. I wish the platform could continue investing in more of the same.
4
Play Something
One of the reasons Netflix ranks among the best streaming services is its rich content catalog. With so many options available, picking something to watch can be daunting. In 2021, Netflix offered the Play Something shuffle button as a solution to skip the overwhelming task of choosing what to watch.
All you needed to do was click the Play Something button, and Netflix instantly played something tailored to your tastes. It could be a new movie or TV show that matches your preferences or something you’ve been watching but haven’t completed.
It can be difficult to find what to watch next, and the feature saves you from the decision fatigue that comes with endless browsing. Whether you were in the mood for something new or wanted something similar to what you recently finished, Play Something made it all effortless.
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3
Sleep Timers
Another handy feature Netflix killed that I miss is sleep timers. Sleep timers allowed users to set a timer for how long they wanted Netflix to keep playing, automatically stopping the video after a set time.
While it was only available as a test feature on Android devices, it proved helpful. Sleep timer was a perfect solution for those who like to fall asleep while watching their favorite shows or movies.
Say you are watching an episode of Stranger Things while in bed as you wait for sleep; you can set a sleep timer after 15, 30, or 45 minutes or at the end of the episode. When that timer ends, regardless of whether you’re awake or asleep, Netflix will stop playing.
2
Netflix Friends
Before being removed in the early 2010s, Netflix had a social feature called Friends. It was more like being friends on Facebook, except in the world of watching content. You could add a Netflix friend by connecting your account with another account by sending an email invitation. (You could add up to 50 friends.) Among other features, Friends allowed you to see what your friends were watching or had recently watched.
Plus, you could suggest titles to each other with a personal note on why you think it’s a catch. It was a fun, social element that allowed Netflix to feel more communal and allowed you to discover new shows and movies based on your friends’ preferences right on Netflix.
Without it, Netflix is more of an isolated experience, with more emphasis on algorithmic recommendations. I’m not against algorithmic recommendations, but it would be great if Netflix returned Friends to foster a community feel on the platform. Netflix killed the feature after over five years due to low usage, according to Beta News, perhaps because of the prevalent password sharing at the time. I bet it could be a hit moving forward, thanks to Netflix’s password-sharing crackdown.
1
User Reviews
Once upon a time, Netflix allowed users to leave star ratings and write reviews for movies and TV shows. User reviews aren’t just helpful—they are essential. More often than not, if you found yourself sitting on the fence about watching a given title, user reviews could tip the scales.
User reviews provided insight about any title so you could avoid wasting time watching a series that fizzled out in season two or, worse, canceled. It was like someone from the future giving you a clue about what lies ahead before you hit play. Unfortunately, Netflix removed the feature, replacing it with a thumbs-up/thumbs-down system, with highly rated titles given a Most Liked label.
While it works like a charm in improving your Netflix recommendations, it lacks the nuance and context that user ratings and reviews provide. I can’t tell why people liked or disliked something; is it because of the plot, pacing, or something else? Plus, I can’t warn others when I sit through three hours of something that absolutely isn’t worth it.
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As Netflix continues to evolve, it’s understandable that features come and go. But sometimes, what gets left behind are the little things that make the experience more personal, more social, or simply more convenient. Here’s hoping that Netflix listens to its longtime users and considers bringing back some of these beloved features.
