Swimming in a proverbial sea of new content, it’s challenging to decide on the next show or movie to binge. Thankfully, some of thebest entertainment appsandstreaming video serviceson Android have a cure for your indecision — usually collections sorted by category, or a simple shuffle button. Netflix had a shuffle button called Surprise Me for its content library too, but it has been discontinued because people knew what they wanted to watch already.
Surprise Me started life asShuffle Play during testingin January 2021, and was renamed toPlay Something for a wider rolloutbefore earning its latest name. Despite the name changing and rather prominent placement on the home screen, a Netflix spokesperson told theWall Street Journalthe shuffle feature was sunset in January 2023.
Netflix has a colossal content library, so most suggestions based on your watch history are on the homepage, along with any new shows and movies ready to stream. You may also have unwatched shows craving for your attention, those you want to revisit, sequels for content you watched, or shows Netflix is aggressively marketing on other platforms like YouTube and Instagram. Understandably, there’s little to no room left for indecision when you open up Netflix, even if you’re a heavy user. Yes, the platform remains heavily reliant on a content engine to populate suggestions, but it won’t be helping with shuffle anymore.
Netflix knows best what works for its business interests, but one thing is for sure — there’s no dearth of content ready to stream, and there’s something in it for everyone. We do not remember the last time we used the shuffle feature, so we aren’t quite teary-eyed about its demise. If you used it frequently, consider leafing through Netflix’s homepage with content similar to shows and flicks you have watched already.
