We unearthed Netflix's elusive Shuffle button

Netflix has been teasing a shuffle feature for years and this week we came across it in the wild.

At a time when we are inundated with content, picking something to watch has never been harder. Remember when you had five channels and you could only pick out of what the television gods assumed you’d want to watch?

Sorry let me just pick those gray hairs out…

Well, streaming services are trying to recapture that energy with shuffle concepts that take the decision making out of the process. Netflix has teased these ideas for years and earlier this week I came across the latest iteration - the Shuffle Play button.

The Shuffle Play button sits directly on your home screen, just underneath your profile icon. Shuffle Play is said to choose content for you at random based on your viewing preferences. 

Based on testing, we can assume that the algorithm chooses TV shows and movies in a similar way to how you see suggested content in your profile.

When I tested the feature I was given the Friends pilot with a note saying that this Sitcom is similar to Brooklyn 99. That is clearly wrong, but fine Netflix wheel of fortune - whatever tickles your fancy.

Another shuffle took me to Schitt’s Creek saying that it was a Sitcom similar to Arrested Development. Judging by the comparisons there seems to be rhyme to the chaotic reason of our streaming overlord.

From what we’ve seen, the Shuffle Play button is currently only available on Android TV and other Google supported devices (such as the latest Chromecast) and isn’t available to all users. While I can shuffle everyday on my television, neither my desktop nor mobile apps show the feature.

This is just another in a stream of content randomising options that Netflix has tested. In 2019 the service released an option that allowed users to play a random episode from popular shows, and some customers have found an option called Play Something in their TV app’s sidebar navigation.

Other services have dabbled in desultory viewing options such as Binge’s Surprise Me button, and horror platform Shudder’s TV option. Although neither of these take into account the user’s viewing preferences with Binge’s function simply pulling from the entire library and Shudder playing staff picks around the clock.

Anula Wiwatowska

Offsite Editorial Lead | Instagram

Anula is the Off-Site Editorial Lead for WhistleOut Australia, and an award winning tech journalist. She has been writing about the Australian telco industry, and consumer technology for over five years, and has been known to tell her Uber driver which phone they should upgrade to next.

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