Netflix will release shuffle function for all users in the first half of 2021

Netflix will officially release its shuffle feature this year. The company previously rolled out this feature to some users, but that was a beta test where it was not yet certain whether the feature would actually be available.

Netflix states that the shuffle function should be available to all users in the first half of 2021, Variety also writes. The feature allows users to launch any movie or series, with movie choice based on users’ preferences.

Netflix’s chief operating officer, Greg Peters, says users sometimes launch the service but “don’t know exactly what they want to watch.” This means that the shuffle function is intended for users who want to “skip browsing and press one button”, according to the coo. “We will then choose a title for them to play immediately.”

The company already tested its shuffle function last year. Several Netflix users noticed a ‘play something’ button in mid-2020, for example, which appeared in TV apps that are available for set-top boxes, among other things. Netflix then indicated that it was not yet clear whether the feature would actually be released; the platform first wanted to consult user feedback. Even then, the company stated that the goal was ‘to eventually produce something’.

Netflix also released its quarterly results this week. In it, the service reported, among other things, that it has just over 203 million subscribers; a record number of paying users for the service. The company’s quarterly revenue was $6.64 billion with a net profit of $587 million.

A Netflix shuffle feature test from 2020. Image by Twitter user @TurnerLevison