You’ve heard of Netflix and Chill. Now try literally chilling and watching Netflix. Crazy, I know, but it’s an increasing common pastime: Netflix captured nearly a third of all home entertainment revenues in the U.S. last year.
And when you’re mainlining episode after episode of Mindhunter or Deep Space Nine on the world’s most successful streaming platform, you should make sure you’re doing it right. Here’s a look at all the awesome Netflix apps you might not have realized you were missing.
Showgoers
This is the Chrome extension everyone in a long-distance relationship was waiting for: It lets you sync up your Netflix account with a friends to allow you to watch a show or film at the exact same time. Just share the URL and let your friends join the party. And yes, the site has covered the most important aspect:
“When you’re in a Showgoers watching party, clicking play/pause or seeking to a specific spot in the movie will cause the Netflix player of everyone else in the watching party to do the same thing,” the site explains.
Start calling your friends now: You have everything you need to arrange an international live-tweet of the next season of Stranger Things.
Fan TV
The worst part about Netflix, or any other streaming service? The endless options. This app — available on the App Store and Google Play both — helps by letting you browse through more than one million movies and shows and letting you add them to a personal watch list. It’s not just Netflix either: The app tells you where you can watch anywhere, from Hulu and Amazon to live TV channels.
Reel Good’s Netflix Roulette
Or if you want a faster, more Netflix-specific way to locate a watchable film, try a spin on the Netflix Roulette site. It’s what it sounds like: You can decide what genre you feel like and how low an IMDB rating you’re willing to watch before hitting the “spin” button to see what Netflix film pops up.
IMDb Ratings for Netflix
Speaking of IMDB ratings, here’s a Chrome extension that can integrate with your Netflix account to reveal the IMDB score for any film you’re considering. Maybe the new Deathnote remake is a 95 percent match for you according to Netflix, but that 4.7/10 rating from IMDB will give you pause. Or it won’t. Whatever the case, this extension is a slick way to ensure that your film recommendations aren’t entire divorced from reality.
Flix Assist
Here’s a quick fix for one tiny yet incredibly annoying problem: Netflix asking you if you’re still watching. Just add this Chrome extension and you’ll never be interrupted by that title card on your browser or through Chromecast ever again.
