Netflix Was a Mess Until I Discovered This Feature
I watch countless movies and shows on Netflix, searching for the best solution. Sometimes I get hooked and end up watching multiple episodes of a series, while other times I abandon a movie halfway through. Before, I felt like I had to see everything through to the end, even if it was horrible, but life is too short.
Netflix tracks your viewing progress and stores everything in the Continue Watching row on the home page. This is convenient when you want to pick up where you left off, but it’s inconvenient when something is half-finished and you have no intention of returning to it. Luckily, it’s possible to put away the Continue Watching line, and it’s something I do regularly.
How to remove a title from continued viewing
The Continue Watching line appears on the Netflix homepage, usually as the second or third line below the main promotional banner. However, it may appear higher or lower.
This constant moving of the Continue Watching line is a pet peeve I have with Netflix: I wish I could pin the line to the top so it’s always immediately accessible, although I understand why Netflix doesn’t offer that, because it wants me to scroll through its latest and greatest offerings first.
When you finish an episode of a show, the next one appears on the Continue Watching line. If you don’t finish an episode or movie, it also appears in the row so you can return to it. If you watch it all the way through, it won’t appear.
If you don’t intend to continue something, you can remove it from this row to keep the list focused and tidy. When you delete a show or movie, it doesn’t remove it from your viewing history or hide the title on Netflix. This means that if you change your mind and want to continue watching, you can quickly find it again by searching for its name, and it will then reappear in Continue Watching.
The exact method to remove a movie or show from the Continue Watching line depends on the device you’re using. Once a title is deleted, the change is immediately applied across all devices you use Netflix on.
On your internet browser:
-
Go to the Netflix website.
-
Hover your cursor over a title.
-
Select “Remove from Row”. The button is an X mark.
On your mobile or tablet:
-
Open the Netflix app.
-
Select the three vertical dots below a title.
-
Select “Remove from Row”.
On your TV:
-
Select a title to access its presentation page.
-
Press repeatedly to navigate the menu.
-
Select “Remove from continued viewing”.
How to remove a title from your viewing activity
When you remove something from Continue Watching, it’s still tracked in your viewing history and used to influence your recommendations. As such, you may prefer to remove the show or movie from your viewing history entirely. This will also remove it from Continue Watching.
This is only possible through a web browser, not through the mobile app or your TV, although changes will apply across all devices within 24 hours. You also cannot remove activity from a child’s profile.
On your internet browser:
-
Go to the Netflix website.
-
Hover over your profile picture in the top right and select “Manage Profiles”.
-
Under the “Profile Settings” heading, select the profile for which you want to adjust the viewing history.
-
Under “Preferences,” select “Activity View.”
-
Select “Hide from viewing history” next to the title you want to remove. The button is a circle with a slash through it. If you are hiding an episode, then you have the option to “Hide Series” if you wish.
You can clear your entire history if you select “Hide All” at the bottom of the list, but consider creating a new Netflix profile rather than using this nuclear option, because you might regret it.
Get the most out of your Netflix subscription
If you’re not in the habit of digging through Netflix settings, now is the perfect time to take advantage. One of the best improvements I’ve made to Netflix is turning off autoplay previews (Manage Profiles > Select Your Profile > Playback Settings > Turn Off “Autoplay Previews”) to prevent trailers from blowing up in my face while I’m browsing.
There are plenty of other Netflix features you probably don’t use, like playing Netflix’s ad-free games and customizing the appearance of subtitles, so make sure you’re getting the most out of your subscription. If you ultimately decide that the service doesn’t have enough to satisfy you, or you’re tired of the price increases, you may want to pause or cancel your Netflix subscription.
- Subscription with advertisements
-
Yes, $8/month
- Concurrent streams
-
Two or four
Stream licensed and original programming with a monthly subscription to Netflix.
