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Netflix is working on an audio-only listening mode for its Android app, apparently. A small selection of Android users are looking at a video off feature that allows them to turn off the video and just keep the audio playing.
As reported by Android police, the feature was first noticed in October by XDA Developers, after a teardown of the app to see what secrets Netflix’s code was holding for future features. (There is also a new Audio Only setting to switch between Always On, Headphones or External Speakers, and Off.)
As always, Netflix appears to be testing the new feature with a small number of subscribers, with the possibility that we will see this audio-only functionality implemented for all Netflix users around the world.
Why the change? You can talk about today’s attention span, or rather the huge multi-tasking, multi-tasking app that the digital generation has grown accustomed to. Why sit back and watch Netflix when you can send a few tweets while listening to a nature documentary or preparing a meal you can’t take your eyes from for a minute or two?
Netflix vs creators
The move may put Netflix in a bind, given the streaming service’s history of measures that prioritize user convenience over creator intent.
Earlier this year, we saw Netflix introduce playback speed controls, for those who wanted to speed up TV shows and binge more efficiently, or slow down series for a more relaxed pace. There is definitely a case for accessibility here, although the fact that David Fincher did not intend for his new Netflix movie Mank to be viewed at 1.5 times normal speed can’t be circumvented (maybe give it a try, just in case ).
Audio-only mode will certainly work better for some titles than others, and documentaries and chat shows are likely to be hit the hardest. We don’t think the telekinetic madness of Stranger Things season 4 or the animated brilliance of Castlevania season 4 is the same with just the sound effects.
For now though, we’re in the testing phase, and for every person who doesn’t bother using it, it’s less likely to come to fruition.
