Netflix Has Hidden Features and Secret Codes
Netflix isn’t all that hard to use (unless something breaks , of course). You sign in, scroll through, and pick something to watch. Of course, like all services, there’s more to it than meets the eye. Netflix has a few hidden features and settings, including a rather iconic secret code system — at least for those in the know.
Netflix Secret Codes
One of the best secret features of Netflix is the hidden codes, and it’s really funny. Many subscribers don’t know that the company uses a system of codes to denote different categories of content. Each general category has its own code, but within each of those categories, there are a number of hyper-specific categories with their own codes.
For example, the Action & Adventure genre on Netflix has the code 1365, but within that category are subcategories including Interception Movies (20541), Spy Action & Adventure (10702), and Comic Book & Superhero Movies (10118). According to Netflix , there are over 36,000 of these codes (and corresponding categories) and counting. Since your app likely doesn’t return nearly 36,000 categories when you browse, that’s a lot of different ways to sort through Netflix content that you’re missing out on. But where do you find these codes?
Netflix-Codes.com used to be the main database of these codes and still shows up in Google search, but the site is noticeably missing most of those 36,000 codes. You’ll find more of these codes on the What’s on Netflix site, but even there the list only goes back to 2023. Still, there are over 4,100 codes to try. Maybe Netflix will one day create a dedicated database of all of its codes and categories, but for now we’re making do with what we have.
Once you have the code you need, you will need to return to Netflix. Unfortunately, you cannot use Netflix codes in the app on your smartphone or tablet. These codes only work when you are watching Netflix in a browser on your computer. You can simply type your chosen code into the Netflix search bar or visit the following link, replacing (xx) with your chosen code: https://netflix.com/browse/genre/xx .
Search for specific types of content
Likewise, you can use the search function in the app or on the site to find content by type, not just title. For example, say you only want to see content that’s available in 4K. Search for “4K” and find it. The same goes for Netflix originals: Search for “Netflix” and the results will only show content owned by Netflix. Get creative with your searches and see what comes up.
Save and share clips
If you’ve ever tried to take a screenshot of a Netflix show, you know how stupid it is. All you get is a black image because Netflix blocks any screen recording software from capturing the playback window.
But Netflix lets you save and share clips from your favorite shows and movies — as long as you follow their rules . If you have an ad-free account, you can start a show or movie in the mobile app, then tap the screen and select Moments. Tap Save, then the Share button to send the clip to someone else. Or go to the My Netflix tab to watch it again.
Disable preview
Maybe it’s just me, but I hate streaming services that show previews of shows or movies when I select them. I wouldn’t mind if the previews were a separate option, like a “Preview” button, but having a preview automatically play every time I pause scrolling on Netflix is just awful. Luckily, it can be turned off.
To do this, sign in to your account in a web browser, click Manage Profiles, then select the profile whose settings you want to change. Click Playback Settings and uncheck Automatically play previews when viewing on all devices.
Skip keyboard intro
If you watch Netflix on your computer, you probably use your keyboard to control playback. The space bar starts and stops a video, the Esc key takes you out of full-screen mode, and the F key puts it back. You might also know that the left and right arrows let you skip forward and back in 10 seconds, the up and down arrows adjust the volume, and the M key mutes the sound.
But what you might not know is that you can skip the show’s intro using your keyboard. Just press the S key when the “Skip Intro” option appears, even though I’m a firm believer in watching the intro.
Manage your browsing history
What you watch on your account is your business, but Netflix prefers it be everyone else’s business — at least those with access to your account. Luckily, you can hide content from your watch history at any time, whether you’ve watched something you don’t want to know about or noticed that others have watched something you don’t want to see in your history.
Go back to your browser profile settings and click “View History.” Here you’ll find a complete list of everything you’ve ever watched on your Netflix account. You can hide individual items by clicking the “none” icon, or click the “Hide All” button to hide everything at once.
While you’re here, you can click “Rating” to manage the ratings you’ve given over the years. You can view your rating for each item and change it to something else: “disliked”, “upvoted”, or “upvoted twice”.
Lock your profile with a PIN code
Want to prevent others on your account from viewing your profile? You can protect your profile with a four-digit PIN. Just go back to your profile settings in your web browser and select Profile Lock. Click Create Profile Lock, enter your account password, and follow the on-screen instructions to set up your PIN.