It's called “Play Something"—here's how it works.
Netflix Has a Button for People Who Can't Decide What to Watch
Ever find yourself scrolling through the many options on Netflix, unable to choose what you want to watch, knowing you're more bored by the search than you would be by even the most mediocre program? Well, now there's a button that will just play something, anything, so you can go back to looking at your phone or doing a puzzle or however you keep yourself occupied during a binge-watch.
“Play Something” is a new feature on the streaming service that launches today, April 28. “There are times when we just don’t want to make decisions. A Friday evening after a long work week. A fridge full of food but nothing jumps out. A family movie night where no one can agree. We’ve all been there. Sometimes you just want to open Netflix and dive right into a new story. That’s why we’ve created ‘Play Something’,” wrote the company's director of product innovation, Cameron Johnson, in a blog post, per Deadline.
And don't worry, Netflix won't drop you into the third episode of the seventh season of a show. Like everything else, the selection is based on the algorithm. Or as Johnson put it, "When you hit the ‘Play Something’ button, you’ll be instantly met with a series or film we know you’ll love based on what you’ve watched before.”
The robot overlords are getting crafty.
The feature is now on “TV devices” and will expand to Android devices soon. It was also definitely beta tested a few months ago on certain users, because I remember when it suddenly popped up for a few weeks on my Netflix account.
If you're looking for your next Netflix favorite, go ahead and give this new feature a whirl, but don't forget that we here at Glamour have always got your back: These are the best documentaries, the best shows, and the best tear-jerkers currently on Netflix. Happy streaming!
This story originally appeared on: Glamour - Author:Elizabeth Logan
