Netflix’s Shuffle Play feature, which was tested last year, will roll out widely in the first half of 2021. In its trial run, Shuffle Play worked by selecting content based on their watch history, helping customers avoid feeling overwhelmed by Netflix’s main screen full of content.
Netflix COO and chief product officer Greg Peters said the feature was designed for users to “show us they just want to get through the browsing completely, click a button and we’ll select a title for them to play instantly.”
During testing the feature, quoted from The Verge, Thursday, Netflix has experimented with including a random play button or “Shuffle Play” on the screen when a customer selects a profile, and the option to play something or “Play Something” on the menu.
During the earnings presentation, co-CEO Reed Hastings joked that Netflix might call the feature “I’m More Lucky” or “I’m Feeling Lucky”, as it does on the Google search engine. However, Peters quickly rejected the idea.
“We’re going to find something better than that, so be prepared for this. You’ll see it when it launches,” said Peters.
Whatever the name of the feature, Shuffle Play is Netflix’s latest attempt to make it easier to find content to watch on its platform.
Last year, Netflix added a “New & Popular” tab to its service, which features a combination of new, popular and upcoming content.
