Netflix Is Considering Getting Rid Of The ‘Are You Still Watching’ Feature
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It's a miserable night and you're glued to the sofa, mid-binge watch, when that fatal Netflix message pops up, asking: 'Are you still watching?'
We've all been there - and nothing crushes the mood of a marathon telly sesh harder than those four little words.
The question appears when viewers have watched three back-to-back episodes, on the off-chance they may have fallen asleep while watching, but has been widely memed for triggering feelings of guilt and shame.
Netflix explains that the feature is in place so that "you don't lose your place or consume unnecessary internet data if you're not actually watching", but right now, the only way to disable it is to turn off the autoplay function altogether.
Netflix adding a "Play Without Asking Again" button is def one of the top 3 things to happen in 2020. pic.twitter.com/6C4N6izp4h
- Kaitlin Cubria (@KCubes) September 28, 2020
they added a "play without asking again" button to the "are you still watching?" on netflix. absolutely revolutionary.
- will (@WT_Buck) September 23, 2020
Did y'all know Netflix listened to us?? They added a "Play without asking again" option when they ask if you're still watching a show
- Katie Cooks (@JustlOVEKATE) September 23, 2020
Some viewers may be pleased to hear it's now emerged that the streamer is testing a feature which will allow users to switch off the divisive pop-up.
A spokesperson for Netflix told The Verge that the function is "still in testing mode", so it's unclear whether it will be rolled out worldwide.
Nevertheless, news of the feature has spread to Twitter and TikTok. Some users in the US have had the feature appear on their Netflix accounts and shared the updated options available.
With the new feature in place, viewers can reportedly choose between three options, which are 'Ask Again Later', 'Play Without Asking Again' and 'I'm Done', when the message first pops up.
"They added a "play without asking again" button to the 'are you still watching?' on netflix. absolutely revolutionary," tweeted one user.
"Did y'all know Netflix listened to us?? They added a "Play without asking again" option when they ask if you're still watching a show," commented another.
For anyone who gets the urge to yell "hell yes I'm still watching, Netflix" before grumpily retrieving the remote, this could be a game-changer.
Topics: Entertainment, TV and Film, tech news, TV News, tech, Netflix