Netflix is Finally Letting You Turn Off Those Annoying Autoplay Previews

[MisterSavage]

I’d also like a button for “I started watching but it was ****. Stop bugging me to finish watching it.”

I literally just finished looking up how to do this. You have to do it from a web browser. Go into the menu, select "viewing activity", and then hit the circle with a line through it next to the item you don't care about. They say within 24 hours they'll stop suggesting you finish watching it.

 

[az431]

This was so annoying that I found myself avoiding Netflix. Maybe I won't cancel now. ;-)

Wow. Really?
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Maybe Netflix should focus on its core business (which is bleeding terribly) and stop abusing its own user interface to try and trick customers into thinking there is something new and interesting to watch.

Auto play previews...
Auto play into something you never asked to watch...
Constantly changing the posters of every single title to make you think something changed since last time...
50 rows of things to watch, that are all the same thing in a different order...

Try reading the words below the poster frame.

 

[Seanm87]

Meh. Just cancelled Netflix. Personally find it horrendously overrated. The concept is good but the content isn’t good enough to stay subscribed Imo.

 

[JoeShades]

Netflix had $20bn USD in revenue in 2019 and $1.8bn USD in income. They're hardly bleeding terribly. If you think they're bleeding terribly, I'd hate to see what you consider failure.

Netlfix is Billions in debt

 

[JGIGS]

Can you still manually decide to watch the preview? Technically I don't like how previews give too much away but it would be nice for those times I wouldn't mind seeing a preview.

 

[MDF314159265]

I couldn’t stand this! ....but then I got used to it and always wait for the other apps to do it now.
At least now I have the choice, even though I no longer need it. 🙃

 

[maxfromdenmark]

Hallelujah 🙏🏻
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“We’ve heard the feedback loud and clear” yeah.... it took only like years to hear us. It looks like Netflix is blind and deaf. But thank you anyway.

 

[Nermal]

I wonder whether we'll ever have interoperability with streaming services. To use the Web, I can choose a browser. To view an image, I can pick an image viewer. And to watch Netflix... I'm forced to use Netflix's player along with all its quirks.

Why can't we mix and match like we do with other services?

 

[480951]

Immediately turned this off as soon as I read about this. I’m just glad that there’s the choice. I personally started muting the TV every time I started up Netflix because of the bombardment it sounds and visuals it autoplayed no matter what I scrolled to. If some people prefer the previews, at least they still have the option.

This was one of the few things that would’ve gotten me to unsubscribe from Netflix so I’m happy they’ve given the choice to change it.

 

[tranceking26]

Thanks for sharing this. I'm glad to see this setting appear.

 

[S G]

I changed the setting over an hour ago, but it still shows previews on the Apple TV app for Netflix, though it no longer does it on a browser or even on my LG TV Netflix app. My app is up to date on Apple TV. It is infuriating because the autoplay makes Netflix unusable on Apple TV, as it gradually slows down my entire navigation until I can't browse anymore. Apple TV has other issues with apps such as Arte, where there is no way to tell allowed content vs. free content (the same app works as expected with LG TV). I'd rather use Apple TV because the resolution is better, but it just is not appealing to do so - and don't get me started on the remote.

** Signing out of the Netflix app and back again worked **

 

[Bin Cook]

Another price increase coming "look at this amazing new functionality"

 

[nostresshere]

I wonder whether we'll ever have interoperability with streaming services. To use the Web, I can choose a browser. To view an image, I can pick an image viewer. And to watch Netflix... I'm forced to use Netflix's player along with all its quirks.

Why can't we mix and match like we do with other services?

No matter which browser you use, you still have to log into the Netflix site. You have to "navigate" Netflix using THEIR site and THEIR setup. You can not use a Prime or Hulu setup to make use of the Netflix site.

Same with any streaming app. You just use Roku or AppleTV or Firestick to get to their site.

 

[Gilligan's last elephant]

I actually prefer this and for years I wished content had trailers. Conversely, I hate it when clicking on a show for the first time auto starts the first episode.

I have to say that I was puzzled by all these comments. People must have a very low threshold for what irritates them if when scrolling through the matrix of shows to consider watching, that if one pauses to read the synopsis for a show, a trailor starts playing in the background. To the point where they would want to cancel their membership???
Also if I select a programme for first time it offers up "series 1 episode 1" as the option to then select. Doesn't start automatically.

This is using PS4 and LG TV apps.

Amazon Prime doesn't do this, but it hadn't registered with me that there was a difference.

 

[bookcase]

While 95% of me hates the auto play feature, the other 5% won’t let me disable it because I’ve discovered some good shows with it.

I agree with you, but I turned it off to give it a try. I can always turn it back on. I just wish they'd offer a way to watch trailer when you click into the show.

 

[PastaPrimav]

Netflix had $20bn USD in revenue in 2019 and $1.8bn USD in income. They're hardly bleeding terribly. If you think they're bleeding terribly, I'd hate to see what you consider failure.

If you consider them a sustainable business model, I pity anyone who does business with you.

They forcibly raised prices on customers twice in 2019, had their worst US subscriber drop off ever inside of 1 quarter, then did it again the next quarter. And they are in enormous debt. Looking at what they elect to spend their money on (specific content), they are in big, big trouble.

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

Probably just requires an update to the Netflix app on the Apple TV. Hopefully that will be updated soon.

It takes a bit to update on all apps, when I created a new profile it took about an hour or so to show up everywhere I have netflix

Still autoplaying 19 hours later...

I made the change using my web browser (on my MacBook Pro, if it matters), then went and restarted the Apple TV. Autoplay previews are now off, hallelujah!!

Which Apple TV do you have?

I have the Apple TV 4 (with the latest tvOS 13.3.1 (17K795) on it).

 

[2010mini]

“Netflix solved monumental First World Problem”

there, fixed the title for ya.

I am one of the few, I guess, that actually likes the trailer feature when looking for new shows.

 

[nburwell]

“Netflix solved monumental First World Problem”

there, fixed the title for ya.

I am one of the few, I guess, that actually likes the trailer feature when looking for new shows.

Took the words right out of my mouth. I guess we're one of the few who don't mind the feature, especially when looking for something new to watch.

 

[erinsarah]

Now where is my god damn „already watched“ button

Not to mention the “I’m never going to watch this, just remove it from my screen entirely and forever” button.

 

[macfacts]

So much fake hate in this thread.

 

[Westside guy]

Which Apple TV do you have?

I have the Apple TV 4 (with the latest tvOS 13.3.1 (17K795) on it).

I have the 4K, also with the latest tvOS. Maybe I just lucked out.

You could try uninstalling the Netflix app, rebooting the Apple TV, and then reinstalling...

 

[Gilligan's last elephant]

“Netflix solved monumental First World Problem”

there, fixed the title for ya.

I am one of the few, I guess, that actually likes the trailer feature when looking for new shows.

I suspect your one of the vast majority that has no issue with such a trivial "problem"

 

[MisterSavage]

Still autoplaying 19 hours later...

If you have another profile try switching to that and then back to yours.

 

[mannyvel]

If you consider them a sustainable business model, I pity anyone who does business with you.

They forcibly raised prices on customers twice in 2019, had their worst US subscriber drop off ever inside of 1 quarter, then did it again the next quarter. And they are in enormous debt. Looking at what they elect to spend their money on (specific content), they are in big, big trouble.

There's no such thing as a sustainable business model. Companies that were dominant decades ago are no longer viable. Companies that didn't even exist years ago are worth billions.

You can look at the past, or you can look a the future.

As an example, everyone knew Apple was dying back in the day. What did they do? They came out with the iPhone. Viability!

The iPhone is slowing. Now what? Of course Apple is thinking about what's going to happen down the road. So is Netflix.

As an aside, I've made money off of both. It's about the future, not the past. The past is something you can learn from. But as the statement says, "past performance is no guarantee of future results."