5 Netflix Extensions and Apps for a Better Viewing Experience
Netflix is one of the biggest streaming services in the world, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be better. These apps and extensions give you your Netflix superpowers for free.
There’s a lot to love about Netflix, but it still has some flaws. Why is it so hard to find movies that you and your friends love in common? Why is keyboard navigation difficult? Why doesn’t Netflix have X-Ray like Amazon Prime Video? If you’re bothered by these shortcomings, some apps and extensions can fix them.
1. Couchers (Android, iOS): Find movies that you and your friends like in common
Have you struggled to find something you and your partner or friend have in common? Couchers try to solve this problem with apps like Tinder so you can choose movies you like or dislike and find matches with your friends or partners.
Here’s how it works. First, install and register the app, and choose your Netflix country so that you can get the local catalog. After that create a group and invite people to join it. Tap on “Content” and you’ll start up in a Tinder-like interface. Swipe right to like a title, swipe left to dislike it. Once your group-mates do this, the group will show all the titles you match with.
You can create multiple groups for different people. For example, you might have one group with one roommate to find something you like, and another group with all roommates to find common matches. You can also send messages to Couchers groups. And the app also lets you set certain styles so that the catalog can be filtered.
2. FlixRemote (Chrome): Control Netflix in a Browser from Your Phone
If you want to Netflix via a browser on your computer or laptop and put it away, getting up to control playback can be a pain. FlixRemote turns your phone into a remote control for Netflix on your browser, and it doesn’t require you to install any apps on your phone.
Install the extension in Chrome, and activate it while Netflix is running. This will generate a QR code, which you need to scan with your phone to open it as a link in your phone’s browser. It connects the Chrome browser on your computer to your phone’s browser, turning your phone into a remote control.
FlixRemote shows the current playing title, and in the case of TV series, you can watch all the episodes as well. You can change subtitle and audio options, adjust volume, and skip intros with FlixRemote. Of course, with all of this, you can control playback like pause, skip forward or backward 10 seconds, and go to the next or previous playing item.
3. Netflix Navigator (Chrome): Easily Browse Netflix From Your Keyboard
In browsers, Netflix doesn’t work well with the keyboard, even for simple things like moving through titles with your arrow keys. Netflix Navigator adds a range of options for navigating Netflix with your keyboard.
The extension lets you browse easily with the arrow keys, and you can get more information about any heading by pressing Enter. This opens a small pop-up with all the information about the title, without taking you away from the main page.
Netflix Navigator also autoplays the default Netflix preview video when you hold down on any title for more than a second. And if you want to search the catalog, tap the S key as a shortcut.
4. Netflix Extended (Chrome, Firefox, Edge): Avoid Spoilers and Get Easier Controls on Netflix
There are a number of problems with Netflix that the streaming service has never bothered to fix. Netflix Extended is one of those extensions to fix popular websites that make Netflix usable.
Like Netflix Navigator, it adds several keyboard and mouse shortcuts for easy navigation. For example, you can press N to go to the next episode, H to control subtitles, S to skip the intro or recap, or Escape to return to the browse page. If you use a wireless mouse, you can control the volume with the scroll wheel.
One of the best features of Netflix Extended is how it helps you avoid spoilers by blurring the description of series and episodes, so you don’t know the details. It also stops playing the trailer on the browse page, allowing you to go in blind. The extension also adds ratings from IMDb and other rating agencies.
5. Cine Lens (Chrome, Firefox): Get Casts, Music & Trivia as Smart Layers
One of the best features of Amazon Prime Video is X-Ray, which lets you quickly view movie information while you’re watching your video.