Netflix has launched a worldwide test of ‘Shuffle Play’, a feature for deciding subscribers that starts streaming a random title based on their viewing history or playlists.
The idea, of course, is to offer yet another way to encourage Netflix users to watch more content on the service – even if they do not know what, exactly, they want to watch – and potentially be connected to a new TV show as film. Currently “Shuffle Play” is only tested on devices with connected TV.
“The purpose of the test is to make it easier for members to find something to watch,” a Netflix spokesman said. The company plans to use the test’s findings to eventually roll out a “shuffle” feature on Netflix: “The hope is to produce absolutely something,” the rep said.
The titles offered by Netflix when you hit “Shuffle Play” are shows or movies similar to those you’ve seen before; titles in genres you have seen; or content you have stored in the “My list” section.
The world available to part of Netflix’s user base, the “Shuffle Play” button appears in one of three places (if all three): below the profile bar in the start screen; in the ‘Billboard’ area of a user’s profile homepage; or on the sidebar of the TV menu.
Netflix first tested a similar feature in 2019 with a random episode button on its Android app, which was available for select TV shows. The company then began a second worldwide test round in July 2020 with “Shuffle Play.”
Netflix’s latest shuffle test was first reported by TechCrunch, which tracked several user posts on social media about the feature, including these:
“Shuffle Play” is one of several content discovery features that Netflix has introduced to encourage more viewing, as TechCrunch noted.
One of those was Netflix’s car game previews as you browse the menu – which the streamer eventually became known to many people as quite annoying. This past February, it added the ability for viewers to disable preview autoplay. “Some people find this feature useful. Others not so much, ”Netflix said on Twitter when announcing the change.
