Netflix has none of what you don't want (commercials) and more of what you do (movies, shows, and specials) but if you find yourself watching the same episodes of The Office over and over again, it's time to rethink your queue. The dizzying amount of choice on your favorite streaming platform can feel overwhelming at times, but with the right tricks up your sleeve (namely: codes!), you can find exactly what you want to watch—without spending an hour clicking through those never-ending feeds.
Browse with secret codes.
Netflix organizes all of its content into special categories — thousands of them in fact. You can explore each genre by typing its unique number after the web address: http://www.netflix.com/browse/genre/X, with X being the code. So the next time you're mindlessly scrolling through the homepage, jump to exactly what you want using one of these special shortcuts.
If you need something for the kids ...
Zero in on specific age groups or fam favorites (Disney!) by clicking straight onto one of these categories:
If you need to laugh ...
For when the new Ellen Degeneres special is not enough:
If you need to cry ...
Grab the tissues and get ready to sob your way through one of these:
If you want something to watch on date night ...
Cozy up on the couch with your significant other for a crowd-pleaser:
If you're over Netflix originals ...
Sometimes the streaming service gets a little too ambitious promoting its own content. You could try installing the "No Netflix Originals" Chrome extension to remove them completely from your browse page or jump ahead to one of these categories ahead:
If you want something light on in the background ...
Not in the mood for complicated plot lines and whispered dialogue? These don't require a lot of brain space after a long day.
If you want to binge ...
Hint: When "one more episode" turns into 10, go to "My Profile" and then "Playback Settings." There's an option to uncheck "Play next episode automatically." But we won't judge you for spending an hour (or 10) on one of these categories:
If you're in the mood for romance ...
From the light and happy rom-com to steamy Romance with a capital R, these will have you feeling some type of way.
Classic Romantic Movies: 31273
Romantic Christmas Films: 1394527
To sort movies by year ...
On your computer, go to a category page (like Romantic Comedies) and look for a box with four dots on the upper right hand side of the page. From the dropdown menu, you can change it from "Suggestions for you" to sort by year released, alphabetical, or reverse alphabetical order.
To add in expert reviews ...
If you question what Netflix considers "critically acclaimed" (us too), filter in another layer of critiques by installing the Google Chrome extension RateFlix. The free add-on will display IMDb ratings, Rotten Tomato percentages, and Metacritic scores right next to the movie description before you accidentally click on Bright.
To watch titles before they expire on Netflix ...
Check websites like What's on Netflix and Just Watch. They'll tell you what's brand-new on the service and what's about to leave, so you can stream it before it disappears.
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