Netflix Hacks, Tips and Tricks Everyone Should Know

By Harry Guinness

Netflix is one of the most popular streaming services around, but with thousands of movies and TV shows available on dozens of different streaming devices, most people could probably do with a few Netflix tips and tricks to make the most of it. Here are a few of our favorites.

How do I get the best video quality on Netflix?

To watch movies and TV shows on Netflix in the highest resolution at the best possible quality, there are a few things you have to do.

Make sure you’re signed up for Netflix Premium (it costs $20/month). Premium allows you to watch Netflix in 4K Ultra HD. Of course, you also need a 4K smart TV (see our tips on the latest TV technology) and, perhaps most important, a fast, stable internet connection. Streaming Ultra HD requires at least 15 Mbps, so we recommend a fast fiber optic connection, so other people in your home can use the internet, stream their own shows and even download large files without your viewing quality suffering.

How do I set up a Netflix profile for everyone in my house?

Netflix is great at recommending movies and shows to watch, but if everyone in your house has different tastes, things can get confusing.

You can set up another user on Netflix in a couple ways:

• When you log in, tap or click Add Profile.
• On your computer, go to the Netflix Profile Manager.

Netflix allows you to have up to five profiles for every subscription. To make it even easier, you can customize each one by adding a profile picture by going to the Netflix Profile Manager or, on your smartphone, tapping your profile picture and then Manage Profiles. You can also tweak a few user-specific settings like whether you want trailers to autoplay or not.

How do I turn on subtitles or change the audio settings on Netflix?

Netflix offers subtitles and closed captions for every movie and show—it’s one of Netflix’s best settings. The easiest way to access the controls is when you’re actually watching something.

Click, tap or use your remote to select Audio and Subtitles at the bottom of the screen. From the options that pop up, you can change the audio language, add audio captions or turn on subtitles.

If you want, you can also change Netflix’s playback speed. Click, tap or use your remote to select Speed and set it to anything between 0.5x and 1.5x for slower or faster viewing.

Best of all, Netflix remembers your settings, so if you change the language or turn on subtitles for one show or device, it should be turned on for all of them.

What are Netflix secret codes?

Netflix has a secret menu—well, kind of. These are hidden content categories on Netflix, and you can find a comprehensive list of more than 4,000 secret search codes here. You’ll need a Netflix account to explore the list, but here are a few good ones:

• Comedies starring Nicolas Cage (134).
• Scary British Movies from the 1970s (693).
• Exciting Action Sc-Fi & Fantasy (3,139).

Have fun exploring them!

How can I delete my Netflix viewing history?

If you want to hide or delete something from your viewing history on Netflix, so it won’t appear as watched or be used to recommend similar shows, sign in and go to your Netflix account page using a web browser, then go to Profile & Parental Controls > Viewing Activity, and click the Ø symbol.

You can also click Hide All to fully wipe your viewing history.

How can I download Netflix movies and TV shows to watch offline?

If you’re on at least the Netflix Basic plan, you can download some—though not all—movies and TV shows to watch offline. This works on iPhones, iPads, Android smartphones and tablets, Amazon Fire tablets, Chromebooks using the Netflix app from the Google Play Store, and Windows devices running Windows 10 or 11 with the Netflix app installed.

Find the content you want to download and tap the Download button. If you only want to download a few episodes, tap the Download icon (it’s an arrow pointing down toward a line) next to the specific episodes you want to watch offline.

Once they’re done downloading, you’ll be able to watch them even when you don’t have internet access, like on an airplane. Just remember—the faster your internet connection, the faster things will download from Netflix.

How can I turn off autoplaying trailers?

Netflix’s loud autoplaying trailers are one of its most annoying features. If you want to turn them off, sign in to your account on a web browser and go to Manage Profiles and uncheck “Autoplay previews while browsing on all devices.” Click Save and they’ll stop.

How can I keep my account safe for my kids?

If you want to make sure children can’t watch anything inappropriate on Netflix, you should add a PIN to your Netflix profile so they can’t just log in as you. (Here’s how.)

You can also set up a dedicated kids profile, limit any profile to content rated U, PG, 12s, 15s or 18s, or even block specific shows. Don’t worry—they would need to know your password to change any of these settings.

How can I request TV shows or movies on Netflix?

If there is one specific movie or TV show you feel is missing from Netflix, you can fill in a form to request it. Of course, whether Netflix adds it or not will depend on if the rights are available and how popular it is, but it can’t hurt to ask!

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