Netflix tests ‘sleep timer’ with Android version app

Netflix is ​​testing a timer feature in its Android app. Users can set it and after it expires, the app will stop. The function seems useful for users who watch something on the service before going to sleep.

According to The Verge, the timer has multiple options: after 15, 30, or 45 minutes, or “as soon as the current movie or episode ends.” The feature may also be useful for users who let their children watch something on the streaming service, but the test is limited to adult accounts.

Netflix already had the option to turn off the automatic play of the next episode in a series, but this can only be done at the account level and therefore applies to all users within that account. This option offers the possibility to be more precise when it comes to preventing auto-play.

The test takes place worldwide, but only on ‘select user accounts’, so individual users have to see for themselves if they see the timer button appear. Whether the feature is a keeper, according to Netflix, depends on “how warmly the test is received” by the users involved.