If Netflix won't stop suggesting Christmas movies, you can fix it
Maybe you're trying to be cool but Netflix keeps recommending you watch "NCIS."
What if you're a Grinch, but Prime Video steers you to Christmas movies? Or your one week YouTube obsession with cliff diving now means you can't escape those daredevil videos every time you open the app.
Good news: Buried in those three popular video services are do-over buttons to reduce the likelihood of entertainment recommendations you don't want. They're not foolproof but these features are a chance at a fresh start.
I have instructions below to reset the automated recommendations in Netflix, YouTube and Amazon Prime Video. That's not an option for Hulu, Disney Plus, Max (formerly HBO Max) or Peacock.
Many of the online spots where we hang out rely on automated suggestions, including our web searches, social media feeds, Amazon shopping and the videos you see on TikTok, YouTube, Netflix and more.
Streaming video recommendations are another example of the glories and the frustrations of having our choices steered by computers. Those recommendations help you sort through zillions of options. They can also feel manipulative or maddeningly clueless about what you really want.
Netflix, YouTube and Prime Video deserve a thumbs up for giving us a measure of control over their recommendation algorithms. To the other services: Pffft. (That's the sound of a raspberry, in text.)
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Netflix
The most direct step for a fresh start on recommendations is to delete all or part of Netflix's history of what you've watched. Log into your account from the web.
- From the upper right hand corner of the screen, use the drop down menu to click Account. Under the section for Profile & Parental Controls, select the profile you want to change and scroll to Viewing activity. Click "View."
- You'll see a list of every single thing you've watched on Netflix. (I found this list slightly embarrassing.)
- You can click the circle with the slash through it to hide a particular program from your viewing history. Or scroll to the bottom of the page and click "hide all," which wipes the record of everything you've watched.
Whatever you hid won't be used to suggest more videos to you.
If you want to further tinker with your recommendations, you can also rate shows that you've loved with a double Thumbs Up icon or a Thumbs Down for what you don't like.
Netflix said your viewing history and your ratings are the biggest factors in what Netflix recommends to you.
Recommendations are also influenced by the programs you add to your My List, the trailers you watch and reminders you set for upcoming releases.
If your kid's or spouse's viewing habits are ruining your Netflix home screen, don't forget to set up profiles for everyone who watches.
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YouTube
From YouTube's smartphone app, tap "You" in the lower right corner. On the next screen, tap the settings icon that looks like a gear in the upper right corner. Tap on "Manage all history."
You'll see two options:
- You can delete individual videos from your history, which is one factor in what YouTube automatically recommends you watch. You can also delete everything from your history or only what you watched on a particular day or another period of time.
- You can also turn off YouTube history entirely. YouTube won't recommend videos based on what you've seen before. I found YouTube less useful when I turned off this setting.
YouTube has other options to tweak your video recommendations. The company also said that if you watch and click "like" on what you do like, YouTube's computers will take the hint.
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Prime Video
From a web browser, hover your mouse over your profile in the upper right corner. Select Account & Settings.
From the horizontal list of options, pick Watch history. You can delete individual movies or shows from your history.
Also when Amazon shows you the array of videos that it recommends, you can choose to "hide" a video. That's another signal to Amazon's computers that you don't want to be recommended that video or something like it.
(Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post. Interim CEO Patty Stonesifer sits on Amazon's board.)
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Hulu, Disney Plus, Max and Peacock
Sorry, those four do not seem to offer a straightforward option to reset their video recommendations.
They belong on the naughty list. Peacock, I am NEVER going to watch "Yellowstone," no matter how many times it's in my "For You" list.
Hulu does at least give you the option to "like" or "dislike" videos, which presumably influences what else is recommended to you.
Hulu, Disney Plus, Max and Peacock didn't respond to my questions.
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