Netflix is getting better and better, partly thanks to billions of dollars spent on original content that can’t be viewed anywhere else (unless you want to use Popcorn Time or Torrenting). The website has great shows like Luke Cage and now the Defenders, new shoes like Ozarks which attempts to be another breaking bad–and even brand new original movies.
Suffice to say, it’s probably the best and most content rich streaming platform in the world. But maybe you want to figure out how to access or unblock it in a specific country, or maybe you just want to unleash its full potential. Today, we’re here to give you some amazing tricks and tips so you can hack your Netflix and supercharge it in 2017 and 2018.
#1 Unblock Region Restrictions and Get 70% More Content
One of the easiest and most effective Netflix hacks is to get around Netflix’s geo-restrictions. Depending on the country you live in, you could have a severely restricted library of content. Take China for example–they have so much content restricted that Netflix barely even feels like “Netflix”. Other countries like Russia and Australia also have severely limited libraries with barely any content. However, if you use a VPN to get around these geo-restrictions, you can unlock the full library of content that the US has.
Simply find a good Netflix VPN like TorGuard, then purchase a dedicated IP. Once you do this, you get a unique IP that lets you bypass Netflix’s proxy restrictions. When you don’t use a dedicated IP like from TorGuard, you run the risk that your shared IP will eventually be blocked by Netflix. This is why we’ve covered a lot of VPN providers that have been blocked by Netflix in the past.
#2 Improve Netflix with NEnhancer
If you’re a fan of IMDB or Rotten Tomatoes ratings, or you like the ability to watch a trailer for a movie before you invest a few hours, then check out the Netflix enhancement suite called “NEnhancer”. This addon is completly free and compatible with Chrome, so its easy to use. Sure, it’s kinda only available on your PC, but you can use it to add shows to your list and then watch them on your preferred streaming device, or stream content from your PC to your TV with a chrome cast. The addon even gives you suggestions for what you should watch next!
UPDATE: We’ve tested this and found this add-on unfortunately no longer works with Netflix.
#3 Use Hidden Netflix Codes
Did you know that Netflix has a hidden series of URL codes to extend your category search? Maybe you’re tired of scrolling through categories to find what you want, but I’ve found a great page to bookmark to make searching categories on Netflix a breeze. With certain codes, you can search cool things like “Action and Adventure” or “Action Sci-Fi and Fantasy”.
Here are some cool examples:
Animal Tales: http://www.netflix.com/browse/genre/5507
Anime Dramas: https://www.netflix.com/browse/genre/452
Baseball Movies: https://www.netflix.com/browse/genre/12339
Belgian Movies: https://www.netflix.com/browse/genre/262
British TV Shows: https://www.netflix.com/browse/genre/52117
List of all categories and links to codes.
#4 Clean Up Netflix History
If you have been watching Netflix for as long as I have, you probably have a huge history of all of the content you’ve watched. Perhaps you didn’t even know that, or maybe, you’ve noticed and you’re annoyed that other people who share your account can see what you watch.
Don’t want someone knowing you enjoyed a bit too many documentaries about prostitutes, sex, and drugs? Maybe you’re just tired that you can see what you’ve watched and it clogs up your content feed.
Well, don’t worry. You can actually clean up and delete your Netflix recent history easily. Simply navigate to this link where you can see all of your activity and delete each show you’ve watched.
#5 Find the Best Shows
Finding a good show on Netflix use to be hard. Back when it invented online streaming for content (basically), there was mostly just old movies, old TV shows, and the occasional interesting foreign film. Now, everyday it seems like there’s a new show on Netflix made by Netflix that is usually quite good. I just watched “White Gold” and found it hysterical and very raunchy.
However, if you are having trouble finding some good shows and movies on Netflix, there are a few cool resources out there that you can checkout. One of my favorite communities is Reddit.com/r/NetflixBestOf which is a community of people who upvote the best requests for content on Netflix to help each other find good content. Basically, a user asks help for finding a film or show like this : “[REQUEST] Something with a mind fuck plot twist“.
There’s also posts which users recommending content which can also be helpful.
#6 Download Netflix Shows
If you’re going to be going on a plane flight soon, or somewhere without strong Wi-Fi, like on the road–then perhaps consider downloading some Netflix TV shows or movies before you leave. Netflix has only recently made this feature available in the last few years or so, and it’s awesome.
Simply Navigate to the Netflix website on your tablet, phone, or laptop, click on a show, and you should be able to download as many episodes that you can. Just remember, there are a few restrictions like limiting your view time, since some shows leave Netflix and thus your downloaded library.
#7 When is the Best Time to Watch Netflix?
Did you know that during peak times, you can experience less-than-deal Netflix streaming quality? Depending on your internet package, and speeds, you might be better off watching Netflix when other people aren’t. Digital Trends found out that by watching Netflix during peak times, you can experience slower speeds and decreased video quality.
#8 Kick off Shared Netflix Users Mooching
If you share your Netflix account a lot, you might have some moochers still tagging along. Maybe you broke up with an ex, or you want to get off your mooching sister–whatever the case, it’s not hard to change your password and kick everyone else off by simply logging them out. Go to “My Account” then sign out of all your devices.
#9 How to Stop Netflix Buffering
If you hate buffering like I do, you might need a quick tech tip to fix your problem. If you’re on PC, you can pull up a streaming menu by holding down Ctrl+Shift+Opt/Alt+S to open up a menu that gives you a few options to stop buffering.
Or if you’re like a console, you can use the code “up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, up, up, up, up” to access the same menu.
f you’re on Apple TV or a similar streaming device, you can go to the playback settings on your account page and configure your preferred streaming quality to match your speeds. If you have slow speeds, you can change your streaming quality to “low” which will decrease buffer times but lower quality a bit.
#10 How to Customize Netflix Subtitles
Want to make your subtitles less annoying or more fancy? Well you can! To adjust your Netflix subtitles, go to go to Your Account > Your Profile > Subtitle Appearance.
#11 What are the Best Netflix Computer Shortcuts?
Here are some awesome keyboard shortcuts for when you’re watching Netflix on the computer”
– F gives you full screen; Esc will exit out of it.
– PgDn pauses; PgUp will make content play.
– The spacebar pauses and it also plays.
– Shift + Right Arrow will fast-forward; Shift + Left Arrow will rewind.
– M mutes your content.
#12 How to Watch Netflix with Friends Long Distance with Rabbit
If you have a long distance friend, or you want to watch content with another friend or family member who isn’t in the same room, check out Rabbit. It’s a third party “group room” online app that lets you invite others into a chat-room like experience. From here you can login and watch Netflix with others and even chat with each other on microphones to keep your viewing experience social.
