Netflix has the fix for sleeping through your favorite show

By Eric Abent/Jan. 29, 2021 1:38 pm EST

If you've ever wanted to watch Netflix on a timer, you might soon get your wish. Netflix is apparently testing that very functionality in its Android app, allowing users to effectively place a time limit on their viewing sessions. Not only could this be a good thing for people who want to put limits on screen time, but it could also be a nice feature for those who tend to fall asleep to Netflix and don't want TV episodes to continue autoplaying throughout the night.

The timer test was first reported by The Verge, which notes that users have the options of four different timer settings. Three of those settings are strictly timed-based, allowing users to put Netflix into Snooze mode – as it appears to be called – after 15 minutes, 30 minutes, or 45 minutes. There's also the option to put Netflix into Snooze after the end of the episode you're currently watching.

Netflix told The Verge that it is only testing this feature with "select users" around the world who watch on Android, but the company could bring it to other platforms if it sees use during this test phase. Just the same, the test is limited to adult accounts, so you won't find it active on child accounts just yet. If you've got an Android device, you'll know that you're included in the test if you see a Timer icon in the upper right corner of your display while watching a movie or TV show.

To use the feature, tap that Timer icon, select when you want Snooze to be activated and then you're good to go. All in all, it seems like a pretty straightforward feature, and if you have a habit of ending the day by watching a little Netflix in bed, it could prove to be a useful one indeed.

We'll see where Netflix goes with this test soon enough, but it's easy to imagine a timer feature like this being popular with users, whether it's used as a way to avoid the perils of unattended autoplay or as a way of implementing screen time limits for children. We'll let you know when there's more information to share, so stay tuned for that.