Secret hacks to improve your Netflix experience

July 12, 2019

By Kim Komando

OK, it’s time I ‘fessed up to something. I use my sister’s password to watch Netflix.To be fair I gave her my Hulu password. I know “everybody does it” is no excuse, but come on, it’s not like I’m boosting cars.Let’s face it; using another person’s password (with their permission of course) is the ultimate Netflix hack. Since Komando.com doesn’t want you to fall into the depths of my depravity, we offer this list of “hacks” that will make your Netflix experience so much better.

Ways to enhance your Netflix experience

Ways to enhance your Netflix experience depend on what devices you use to watch programs. There are some that only work on computers and laptops, others that you can control with an app if you watch on your smartphone, and some settings that you can change from your TV.Use Chrome extensions:If you watch Netflix on your laptop or computer, there are many Chrome extensions you can use to really streamline Netflix functions. (Go to chrome.google.com and search for extensions by name.) No Netflix Originals Chrome extension removes all Netflix Originals from your home screen. That clears up space to see what else Netflix has on deck.A word of caution though: the explosion of streaming services is taking a big bite out of Netflix’s offerings. Soon it will lose “Friends,” all Marvel, Star Wars and Disney titles, and DC films, to name just a few.As a result, Netflix is offering more foreign movies and TV shows — and original content. At some point, the No Netflix Originals extension may leave you with slim pickings.Super Netflix allows you to pick the video streaming quality you want instead of using Netflix’s default setting. This can help you in two ways. You can get the best video quality at home on your Wi-Fi connection, but if you’re hitting your cap you can lower the quality so you don’t eat up all your data.Never Ending Netflix is a dream. With it, you can automatically play the next episode of whatever series you’re binge-watching, skip title sequences and search more than 3,000 genres. Best of all, you can disable that oh-so-judgemental “Are you still watching?” prompt. You’re not my mom!New discoveries with category codes:Everyone knows about those super-secret hidden categories Netflix has that allow you to discover new-to-you content. The downside to the codes is that you can’t access them through your TV. You have to use a computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone browser.But if you prefer watching on a computer or mobile device, you can find a new world of goodies that Netflix has kept hidden.What you can do from TVs:When you use Netflix you pick a user profile and add favorite shows and movies. Your choices create an algorithm that Netflix uses to recommend other programs.Many times I look at my recommendations and wonder if Netflix knows me at all. People don’t like just a few genres, actors or directors, which is why some of these recommendations seem to come out of left field.Create multiple profiles based on your tastes. But there is something you can do about it. If all your profiles haven’t been commandeered by others, you can use them to create new profiles that reflect your likes. One profile is for action-adventure, another is for horror films, and so on.Turn off those annoying dubbed foreign-language Netflix originals. Netflix defaults to English-dubbed versions of foreign shows and movies, making for a sometimes cringe-worthy watch. Select Netflix settings and go to audio and change it to the film’s original language. Then go to the subtitles setting and set them to English (unless, of course, you speak the language!). Related: Cord cutting news: Disney releases pricing, release date, lineup 

Play Reelgood Roulette

Reelgood Roulette is a delightful website that is also an app for iPhones. Better still, through a free subscription, you can add all of your streaming services and networks and “spin the wheel” on all of them or just one.Go crazy and turn off all the filters and see what you get. Or if you’re really in the mood to see the works of a certain actor or director, you can use those filters and spin the wheel again to see what’s available.Besides being fun, it can help you decide what to watch. Also, if you don’t want to play roulette, the site is a one-stop place to see what’s on your services, what’s leaving and what’s new.Finally, this site doesn’t tie you to any one device. No matter how you prefer to watch your TV and movies, Reelgood Roulette is a nice source to have around.