We all have that friend who’s there the second we need a pick-me-up—and yes, that friend is Netflix. Whether it’s helped us through endless study sessions, during free time or just when we need a reason to stay up late, Netflix has truly provided for us in times of need. Some may call it an addiction, but most of us just call it love…
Since we are all going to catch that love bug sooner or later, here are 10 Netflix hacks that will make you an expert binge-watcher!
1. Add Netflix Enhancer
For Google Chrome users, this $1-a-year extension is the key to tapping into uncharted territory with Netflix. This app will allow you to remove seen movies from search, the home page and genres by clicking on the ‘X’ in the title. You can also show trailers and IMDb/Rotten Tomatoes ratings on the Netflix homepage by clicking on the IMDb star. A page will pop up in a small, readable panel that’s always on top of the screen.
2. Take a look at Rotten Tomatoes
If you’re looking for top-rated picks all in one place, you can check out this list of all Netflix movies sorted by “Tomatometer.” The Tomatometer is a rating based on the opinions of film and television critics. Its percentage is made up of the positive professional critic reviews given to a film or television show.
3. Stream with a gaming console
Most gaming consoles–like Xbox–let you stream Netflix, so you can game and binge all in one place.
4. Find out what’s new on Netflix
Stay up to date when new shows and movies are added to Netflix by liking the Netflix page for your country or visiting What’s New on Netflix on the web. Alternately, you can find out what shows you need to catch up on ASAP before they leave the video-streaming service!
5. Eliminate decision-making with Netflix Roulette
Let this website and app choose your movie for you if you’re having a tough time picking between a few flicks, or if you just don’t know what to pick in general! Set filters based on your preferences—such as if you’d prefer a movie or TV show, what actor or director you’re looking for, what ratings the production has, and even which keywords you’re looking for.
6. Watch shows only available in other countries
Hola makes Netflix think you’re in another geographic location, giving you access to content that is only available elsewhere in the world—for free. Countries on the top 10 list for best television include the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands.
7. Customize your Netflix experience
For Google Chrome users, Flix Plus allows you to customize Netflix to fit your needs. You can hide recommended, watched or rated shows from your home screen, making it easier to navigate Netflix’s suggestions. You can even rate shows by a half star to make ratings more accurate.
8. Listen to the experts
Instantwatcher filters Netflix movies and shows in a variety of ways to help you decide what the best new show to binge watch is. Look up films based on what’s been watched most in the past 24 hours, sort by NYT Critics’ Picks, and even get a glimpse at what’s been queued in the past three minutes.
9. Use the rating system
Netflix has a special algorithm that creates suggested content for you based on your ratings and what you view, so use that to your full advantage. Rate every movie to help Netflix make better recommendations for you as you watch. You can also fill out a Taste Preferences survey under the Your Account tab that ranks your interest in different aspects of your viewing experience.
These hacks are going to make binge watching just that much easier (maybe too easy). But hey, it’s not our fault…after all, Netflix only gives us 15 seconds between each episode to decide what our next move will be—and with such a short amount of time to make that big of a decision, what’s a collegiette to do but watch the next episode?