NETFLIX has quietly swept one of its funkier features under the rug after users weren’t taking advantage of it enough.
The ‘Surprise Me’ feature was introduced in 2021 in a bid to quell the dreaded ‘doom scroll’.
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This is when users flick through endlessly in search of something to watch.
So-called choice fatigue can set in pretty quickly, particularly when you have guests or food going cold.
The feature was initially introduced under the name ‘Play Something’ in April 2021, while Covid-19 restrictions were still in place.
It essentially plucked a film or TV show out of a hat for users to watch, removing the responsibility of choice from users completely.
But the shuffle button wasn’t used as often as Netflix thought it would be, a spokeswoman told The Wall Street Journal.
Users tended to head to Netflix already with something in mind.
So, the feature was axed last last month.
And customers hardly noticed.
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“We will continue to explore other ways to give members more options and ways to explore and discover content they want to watch,” the spokeswoman said.
As the battle of the streamers continues – with Prime, Apple TV+ and Disney+ all fight over the same customers – Netflix has been working on improving its user experience.
Netflix last month overhauled its smartphone app, in a bid to make it more “fluid, delightful, and polished”, according to a former senior software engineer at Netflix.
It’s a clever trick to make viewers spend more time on the app, as well as help Netflix set itself aside from the rest.
Netflix is still sat firmly on the throne, fat and happy as the longstanding frontrunner of the streaming war, according to a survey last year by software and data firm Whip Media.
Although HBO Max, known for hit shows like The White Lotus and Euphoria, could be waiting in the wings, the survey revealed.
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