New Netflix ‘watch timer’ lets you fall asleep in peace – how to set it up
NETFLIX is trialling a viewing timer feature that can pause an episode for you if you fall asleep.
The Netflix timer has started rolling out globally for some Android users.
It lets you pick a period of time that Netflix will run for before shutting down.
This will be useful for people who fall asleep to Netflix and lose their place in a episode.
It will also be good for people trying not to waste data or those on a mission to limit their Netflix consumption.
Parents may want to use the timer if they're trying to set limits on screen time for children.
How to use the Netflix viewing timer
Android users lucky enough to get the update should now see a timer icon in the right hand corner of their screen when they're watching something.
Click it and you can select to keep watching for another 15, 30 or 45 minutes.
There's also the option to "Finish Show".
Whichever you select is how long the app will keep showing the series or movie before shutting down.
If you find you want to keep watching then you can always turn the timer off or just not use it.
A Netflix spokesperson told us: "We’re always looking for new ways to improve the Netflix mobile experience.
"This test is the latest example – a new timer that gives members more control over their viewing experience by simply choosing their favorite show or movie and setting a timer without having to worry about pausing it before it’s over.
"We experiment with these types of tests and will only roll the feature out more broadly if we find it improves the member experience.”
There's no word yet on when the feature could be coming to Apple users or Netflix on TVs.
We also don't know how many Android users will be able to access the trial feature but if you update the app and don't see it then you're probably not one of them.
Use Netflix on a computer or laptop? Try these useful shortcuts
Here are some handy keyboard shortcuts...
- Spacebar – toggle play / pause
- Enter – toggle play / pause
- F – full screen
- Esc – exit full screen
- Left Arrow – rewind 10 seconds
- Right Arrow – fast-forward 10 seconds
- Up arrow – volume up
- Down arrow – volume down
- M – mute toggle
- Shift-Alt-Left Click – adjust the streaming bitrate (to improve or reduce the quality of the video)
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