Netflix Tests a 'Shuffle Play' Button to Help Make Your Streaming Decision Easier

David Harbour, "Hopper," Stranger Things

Netflix

Can’t decide what to watch? Netflix is working on potential solutions for you, with the streaming giant testing a “Shuffle Play” button that’ll pick a show at random for you, TheWrap has confirmed.

Netflix first told TechCrunch on Tuesday that it’s been testing a big “Shuffle Play” button right below users’ profile icons when they first go to stream. When pressed, the button picks a show or movie you’re either currently watching, have watched in the past, something you’ve saved to your watch later, or a random piece of content it thinks you’ll like, based on what you’ve watched before. So if you’re a big fan of “Stranger Things,” you may get a random episode thrown your way — or another show with an eerie vibe, like “Unsolved Mysteries.”

Some users have already shared what the test looks like on Twitter; you can take a look below:

Interesting new feature @netflix … but what kind of insane person just says, “yolo, let’s spin the Netflix wheel of fortune” pic.twitter.com/6WDJrmd7pG

— Turner Levison (@TurnerLevison) August 18, 2020

My TV has a Netflix shuffle play option. The definition of chaotic evil.

— KD (@kgdobs) August 11, 2020

A Netflix rep said the test has been running since July, but that it has no information on if or when the button will be available to all viewers.

This isn’t the first time Netflix has tested random streaming, either. Last year, the service tested having users go to a favorite show and having the option of watching a random episode, for example.

Netflix didn’t guarantee the “Shuffle Play” button will be released to the masses, but it seems to have a better shot of sticking around than its previous attempt at shuffling episodes.

“We’re always looking for better ways to connect members with shows and films that they will love,” A Netflix rep said. “We run these tests in different countries and for different periods of time – and only make them broadly available if people find them useful.”

Netflix added another 10.1 million new subscribers last quarter, bringing it to nearly 193 million global customers overall.

13 Horror Movies to Stream on Netflix for Friday the 13th (Photos)

Friday the 13th is a big day for horror, big enough that there's a long-running slasher movie franchise called "Friday the 13th." So to help you celebrate the right way -- by watching a horror movie -- we've selected 13 scary flicks that are readily available for streaming on Netflix.
"The Platform" (2020)

The Spanish horror flick from director Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia was one of Netflix's most popular releases in 2020, set within a "Vertical Self-Management Center" where prisoners are fed by a descending platform and left to figure out for themselves how to divide it up.
Netflix
"The Evil Dead" (1981)

Sam Raimi's horror classic starring Bruce Campbell centers on a group of friends who accidentally summon demonic spirits while vacationing at an isolated cabin in Tennessee.

New Line Cinema
"Unfriended" (2014)

Leo Gabriadze's innovative cyberbullying parable tells its story about a group of high-schoolers being haunted by their dead friend almost entirely through one character's MacBook screen.
Universal
"Creep" (2014)

Patrick Brice's found footage horror film follows a man who begins to suspect he's in danger after he responds to a cryptic Craigslist job listing.
The Orchard
"The Invitation" (2015)

Karyn Kusama's "The Invitation" is a remarkable character study where the real horror comes from the socially awkward dynamics between old friends. It has a few remarkable twists, as you decipher whether something is really wrong or if you're just being paranoid.
Drafthouse Films
"Bird Box" (2018)

How do you battle an evil that you cannot even look at? Sandra Bullock and her family must navigate the world blindfolded in this Netflix original.
Netflix
"Gerald's Game" (2017)

When her husband's sex game goes wrong, Carla Gugino's Jessie faces frightening visions and dark secrets, all while handcuffed to the bed.
Netflix
"The Green Inferno" (2013)

Horror master Eli Roth features a group of students who are determined to save a cannibalistic Amazon tribe being squeezed by loggers. Turns out they need the saving themselves.
Universal
"The Ritual" (2018)

Four friends embark on a hiking trip where things end very badly.
Netflix
"The Forest" (2016)

"Game of Thrones" star Natalie Dormer plays a young woman searching for her twin sister, who disappeared in Japan's infamous Suicide Forest.
Gramercy Pictures
"Sinister 2" (2015)

A single mother and her two sons move into a rural house with blood splattered all over the walls. What could be scary about that?
Blumhouse
"The Bye Bye Man" (2017)

When you meet the titular character, be prepared to say, "Bye bye!"
STX Entertainment
"Hush" (2016)

A young woman must fight for her life when a masked killer appears in her window. The twist? She's is deaf and mute.
Blumhouse

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Unfortunately, “Friday the 13th” is not available

Friday the 13th is a big day for horror, big enough that there's a long-running slasher movie franchise called "Friday the 13th." So to help you celebrate the right way -- by watching a horror movie -- we've selected 13 scary flicks that are readily available for streaming on Netflix.

View In Gallery

13 Horror Movies to Stream on Netflix for Friday the 13th (Photos)

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