Netflix testing “Play Something” button for their Android app


Last month, Netflix introduced a new button called “Play Something” on its TV apps as a way to help viewers decide what to watch next. As promised, the company is now rolling out the feature to their mobile apps, starting with a test on Android users.

Part of the reason behind Netflix introducing such a feature is that they noticed that users sometimes struggled to decide on what to watch on Netflix. With a growing list of content, the company is trying to ensure that people stay on their app and not switch to another streaming platform for content.

With “Play Something”, users can leave the selection process to an algorithm that will select content for the user based on the following:

  • A brand-new series or film,
  • A series or film that the user is already watching,
  • A series or film on their list
  • An unfinished series or film that the user may want to revisit.

The Play Something button will appear in various places in the app. Netflix is testing it with a limited set of users and hopefully will roll out soon to everyone. How well the feature works will depend on how their algorithm is and Netflix will surely tweak it based on their tests.

Via