Netflix Games portal expands to iOS: How to play on iPhone and iPad
As promised, Netflix has expanded its mobile games to iOS devices, enabling iPhone and iPad owners to play the same handful of titles previously launched on Android devices. The expansion brings the Netflix Games portal to the company's apps on iPhone and iPad, as well as each standalone game with its own listing in the App Store.
Netflix Games explained
Netflix Games is a relatively new addition to the streaming company's portfolio. The mobile titles are based on Netflix's original content, giving the company a new way to engage with customers and, on the flip side, giving fans new opportunities to explore the worlds presented in some movies and TV shows.
Netflix includes the games as part of its streaming plans, meaning players won't have to pay anything extra for the titles nor will they see advertisements and other annoying monetization schemes. This provides an experience similar to what mobile gamers get from Apple Arcade and Google's Play Pass subscriptions.
How it works
The Netflix mobile apps on Android and iOS have been updated with a new "Games" section that makes it easy for subscribers to see the entire catalog of available titles. Tapping one of the titles takes the user to their respective platform store (Google Play or App Store) to download the offerings as standalone games.
If your Netflix app doesn't include a "Games" section in the navigation bar at the bottom of the screen, close the app and then update it to the latest version. The new "Games" section should appear in the navigation bar upon relaunching the app post-update.
Alternatively, assuming you already know which titles you want, simply head into the App Store (for iPhone and iPad) or Google Play Store (for Android) and search for the game. Each title is available to manually download from the app stores; the Netflix app portal simply makes it easier to find them without searching.
Which games are available?
As of the date of this article, Netflix Games is home to a total of five mobile titles:
- Stranger Things 3: The Game (Android | iOS)
- Stranger Things: 1984 (Android | iOS)
- Shooting Hoops (Android | iOS)
Netflix notes that its mobile games default to English if the user doesn't have a language set in their profile; however, many of the languages supported by Netflix are also supported by its games.
Multiple users can play Netflix Games titles on the same account under their respective profiles. However, Kids Profiles do not include the "Games" category, and, assuming a PIN is set up, Netflix says users will need to enter the code before they can play games on the device.