This all-you-can-eat buffet has also been know to lead viewers into unfamiliar waters that reveal a little too much about them to their partner or flatmates. Thankfully Netflix has a way for your to cover your tracks and delete your history. We show you how to place a veneer over your watching habits once more.
Delete Netflix viewing history
The easiest way to remove any incriminating episodes of Call the Midwife, or that lost evening when you thought watching American Ninja would be a good idea, is to use Netflix’s own built-in conscience cleanser. To find this you’ll need to go to the Netflix site via a browser on your PC, log in, then click on the icon for your account that sits in the upper right part of the screen.
From the dropdown menu select Account. Scroll down the page until your find the My Profile section. In here you’ll see Viewing Activity. Click this.
Now you’ll be presented with a list of all the movies and shows you’ve watched recently.
Simply find the offending item, click the X symbol to the right of its name and all evidence of your media malfeasance will be removed.
How to create Netflix profiles
If you intend to be a habitual watcher of content that you wish to remain private then it might be worth setting up different profiles for yourself and your fellow viewers. When you log in you’ll have access to your main profile but it’s easy to set up multiple profiles for members of the household. This works well if you have kids or people with wildly different tastes as the Netflix recommendation algorithm won’t be thrown off by the seemingly eclectic range of content you watch. To set up a new profile click on the profile icon in the top right corner of the Home screen and select Manage Profiles.
Now click the Add Profile option and create a new one. This at least will give you a modicum of privacy, although be aware that others can easily switch to it, so if you really want to keep your Gilmore Girls habit a secret you’re going to have to go back to the delete option. Of course you could just announce to the world all the things you love to watch. Why not? You might be surprised to discover who else is addicted, and any recommendations they may have.
How to delete Netflix history to keep in sync
One last tip is for those who are watching a series with a friend or loved one but decided to sneak in an extra episode because they couldn’t resist. To cover your tracks all you need to go is go back to the last episode you watched together, fast forward to just before the end of the credits, then go back to the main menu. Now when you sit down together to continue with the show it will look like it was just where you left it before your naughtiness. You’ll still need to be careful to look surprised at any revelations in the episode, and try not to utter the phrase ‘Oh, this is a good bit!’. There’s no erasing that. Martyn has been involved with tech ever since the arrival of his ZX Spectrum back in the early 80s. He covers iOS, Android, Windows and macOS, writing tutorials, buying guides and reviews for Macworld and its sister site Tech Advisor.
