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picture credit score:Netflix
Netflix is immediately formally launching a brand new characteristic for its Android customers that may make it simpler to seek out one thing to look at when you’ll be able to’t decide. The characteristic, known as “Play One thing,” is a shuffle mode choice that may play one other film or present Netflix believes you could like, based mostly in your pursuits and your prior viewing habits.
These choices could embody a film or present you’re already watching however haven’t accomplished, a film or present in your watch listing or a brand-new collection or movie that Netflix’s personalization algorithms recommend, amongst different issues.
The characteristic had been in growth for a while earlier than its public launch. Final 12 months, for instance, Netflix was testing it as “Shuffle Play.” And in its This autumn 2020 earnings, Netflix mentioned it will roll out its shuffle mode to customers worldwide through the first half of 2021, describing it as a method to “immediately watch a title” that was chosen only for the person.
That rollout schedule was partially realized.
“Play One thing,” because the characteristic was rebranded to, formally launched to worldwide customers on Netflix’s TV app again in April. Right here, the choice may be present in a number of locations, together with on the profile choice display beneath your profile title, on the navigation menu to the left of your display and on the tenth row in your Netflix homepage — a location that’s meant to seem proper on the level the place you’re starting to get annoyed with looking and should have in any other case exited the app. As well as, Netflix customers with screen-readers might additionally use Textual content-to-Speech (TTS) to make use of “Play One thing.”
The corporate mentioned on the time it will quickly begin testing the characteristic on cell gadgets, beginning with Android. It then started these checks in late Might.
In different phrases, you could very nicely have had the characteristic by yourself Android gadget lengthy earlier than this “official” debut — however not all Netflix customers globally have been in a position to attempt it but.
That’s now altering, as Netflix is formally bringing “Play One thing” to all Android cell gadgets worldwide, with the rollout that begins immediately. The corporate says it would take a look at the characteristic on iOS within the “coming months.”
On cell, the “Play One thing” button hovers over the content material on the backside of the telephone’s display as you scroll and in addition has its personal devoted tab within the app.
Person response to the addition, to date, has been constructive, Netflix famous — even pointing to some tweets the place people praised the characteristic.
However for Netflix, the shuffle mode characteristic isn’t solely about giving customers one other, simpler method to watch — it’s a method of retaining customers within the app earlier than they leap to a different leisure choice, whether or not that’s a rival streamer or perhaps a social media app for video, like TikTok.
The truth is, the risk from short-form video is severe sufficient that Netflix not too long ago constructed its personal TikTok-like characteristic for its cell app known as “Quick Laughs,” which reveals a feed of comedy movies meant to drive customers to its content material. Placing more durable numbers to this potential risk, TikTok, at an occasion final week, noted that 35% of its customers had been watching much less TV resulting from TikTok, citing data from its own research.
“Play One thing” joins different newer additions as nicely, together with a sensible downloads characteristic known as “Downloads for You” and assist for partial play downloads, in addition to final 12 months’s addition of the High 10 listing.
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