10 Netflix Hacks to Make Your Streaming Experience Perfect

Netflix is always adding great new selections, and summertime means you may be looking to enjoy some binge-watching in the near future.

In order to make the most of your experience on the world’s most popular streaming service, a slew of Netflix tips and hacks have been revealed that will make a world of difference in your TV and movie watching.

From hidden menus to way to find what is trending right now.

Scroll though to see all the hacks.

Hack #1: Learn How to Use the “Netflix Bible”

One of the most difficult issues for Netflix subscribers is being able to search through the vast content available on the streaming service. When looking through a specific genre, one of the most helpful tools is the “Netflix Bible.”

The “Netflix Bible” is a list of categories that the streaming service has made to break up the huge collection of movies and TV shows. Check out the “Netflix Bible” here.

Hack #2: Add Rotten Tomatoes Scores To Your Movie/TV Show Options

Because Netflix has changed its rating system from the five-star rating to a thumbs-up, thumbs-down system, it makes it much more difficult to find the quality content.

In order to find the highest-rated content faster, there is a Google Chrome extension called the NEnchancer, which “integrates with your account to show you trailers for shows and movies and adds Rotten Tomatoes and IMDB pages to titles,” according to Decider.

Hack #3: Find Trending Movies/Shows on Reddit

A subreddit called r/NetflixBestOf has been created to allow subscribers to discuss their favorite content.

The site is a great location for the “diamond in the rough” type shows and films and is great for a recommendation that is a bit off the beaten path.

Hack #4: Use Apple TV’s Bonus Features

For Netflix subscribers who have Apple TV, you likely did not know that you have access to extra features. You can find the special options by pressing the “Up” arrow twice on the Apple Tv remote while viewing a show or movie on Netflix. A page will appear with a banner with the title’s thumbnail image, description, and rating.

By pressing the “Down” arrow, other features are unlocked. Your Apple TV will show a progress bar divided into chapters. The right and left arrows will also allow you to move forward or back a few minutes on your program.

Hack #5: Learn the Keyboard Controls

If you’re a Netflix user who typically enjoys watching on your laptop, there are several desktop settings and shortcut options that will make your experience much more pleasurable.

• Pressing “F” will enter full screen, while pressing “Esc” makes the picture return to normal size.
• Pressing “PgDn” pauses the video.
• “PgUp” plays the video.
• To play and pause, you can also use the “Spacebar.”
• To fastforward, press “Shift + Right Arrow.”
• Rewind by pressing “Shift + Left Arrow.”
• To mute, press “M.”

Hack #6: Do Away With Binge-watching Shame

For anyone who has ever engaged in a full-on Netflix binge-watching session, you are likely aware that the streaming service will ask if you’re really still watching after a couple hours.

To make binge-watching easier and guilt-free, you can add a Google Chrome extension called Flix Assist. You can also eliminate the next episode countdown feature by going to your settings.

Hack #7: Personalize Subtitles

One way to surf through Netflix’s massive library, you can customize your subtitles by font, color, drop shadow, and size.

To change your settings, go to Account > My Profile > Subtitle Appearance.

Hack #8: Know Peak Streaming Hours

Netflix used to allow its subscribers to toy around with the buffering settings by pressing Ctrl+Shift+Alt+Opt+S. However, the streaming service has eliminated the feature.

In order to avoid being interrupted by a poor connection and constant buffering, be sure to know the peak streaming hours. The prime streaming hours are weeknights after work with Friday nights being the busiest. The best times to stream content are during daylight hours or in late nights.

Hack #9: Optimize Video Quality

Changing your Playback Settings will impact the quality of the video you are watching on Netflix. To change your settings go to Account > Profile > Playback Settings. For those who stream on their computer, gaming console, or on a TV app, you can likely set your Data Usage to High.

For users streaming from their phones, you may want to change your Playback Settings to Low or Medium for the best experience.

Hack #10: Eliminate Netflix Moochers

If you’re like many Netflix subscribers, you have most likely either given your Netflix password to someone else or are possibly using one of your friends’ accounts. One way to improve your experience is by reducing the number of people using your account. The best way to do so is by going to Account > Sign Off All Devices.

When you sign back into Netflix, change your password and then try to be much more selective when giving out your password information.

Photo Credit: Netflix