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Netflix Tests a ‘Shuffle Play’ Button to Help Make Your Streaming Decisions Easier

Streamer offers a medley of shows or movies you’ve either shown interest in before, or shows it thinks you may like based on your previous viewing selections

| August 19, 2020 @ 7:47 AM
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:

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.

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