Netflix Testing Shuffle Play Feature on Some Devices

If you're having a difficult time deciding exactly what to watch, Netflix has a new feature that [...]

By Nicole Drum

If you're having a difficult time deciding exactly what to watch, Netflix has a new feature that just may help. The streaming giant has launched the test of a "Shuffle Play" feature that will allow subscribers to stream random titles it thinks you may like based on previous viewing history or items saved to playlists. The feature, which is being tested worldwide, is currently only being tested on connected-TV devices, but the company hopes to roll out a shuffle feature permanently in the future.

"The purpose of the test is to make it easier for members to find something to watch," a Netflix spokesperson said (via Variety). "The hope is absolutely to produce something."

The "Shuffle Play" feature currently appears -- for a portion of Netflix users -- in up to three different places: below the profile row on the startup screen, on the TV menu sidebar, or the "billboard" area on the user profile home screen. When a user hits "Shuffle Play", they will be shown either movies or television shows similar to their previous history or content saved in their "My List" section.

This new "Shuffle Play" feature isn't the first time Netflix has tested a randomizer feature. In 2019, Netflix tested a shuffle feature for its TV shows, a feature that allowed users to simply click play and watch episodes of their favorite shows at random, a feature that TechCrunch noted is useful for shows that users are already familiar with and frequently default to such as The Office or Friends, but may not be especially useful for other programs -- and notes that Netflix has already lost Friends and will be losing The Office in 2021. There is also a shuffle option called "Play Something" that some users spotted being tested earlier this year.

"Shuffle Play" is just the latest feature that Netflix has texted or implemented to help encourage viewership, though not all such features have been well-received. Autoplay of previews is one feature that may have been intended to entice subscribers to check out different content but for many was just an irritation and earlier this year, Netflix introduced the option to turn autoplay features off altogether.

"Some people find this feature helpful. Others not so much," Netflix tweeted at the time. "We've heard the feedback loud and clear - members can now control whether or not they see autoplay previews on Netflix."

What do you think about Netflix testing a "Shuffle Play" feature? Let us know in the comments.

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