Netflix's mobile app is getting an audio-only mode

[Shawn Knight]

In brief: Netflix has spent the better part of the past year bolstering its mobile app, a trend that doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon. The company's latest innovation is an audio-only mode that could help save bandwidth and lead to better consumption experiences with certain content.

In October, XDA Developers reported on a curious discovery. While digging through the Netflix app (version 7.79.1), the team found references to an audio-only mode. It wasn’t functional back then but according to a recent report from Android Police, some users are now gaining access to the feature as part of a server-side rollout.

If you have access to the new feature, you’ll see a Video Off toggle option at the top of your video player. Tapping it will switch you over to audio-only mode, which could be helpful if you are looking to conserve bandwidth or simply want to listen to a show in the background while doing other tasks on your phone.

In practice, one has to suspect that audio-only mode would work better with some shows than others. Dramas like Dexter or Breaking Bad might be harder to follow without the visuals but for documentaries or stand-up comedy, audio-only mode might even be preferred over the standard video feed.

Image credit Nor Sham Soyod, Android Police

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https://www.techspot.com/news/87998-netflix-mobile-app-getting-audio-only-mode.html

 

[SirDigby]

I legit contacted Netflix 2 years ago to ask for this, and I definitely wasn't the first.
Some videos already have this such as standup comedy but its great for documentaries too which is what I wanted it for.

 

[Eldritch]

What about Prime Video, as they have this feature but that didn't get the attention?

Also, when will Netflix add basic features like IMDB rating to its shows? It's infuriating to open browser and type every shows' name to check its rating as its very risky to invest time without checking cuz so many shows are just pure garbage.