How to delete netflix history?

By HotBotUpdated: July 10, 2024

Answer

Netflix keeps a detailed watch history of everything you have viewed on the platform. This feature can be quite handy for resuming shows or movies you are watching or for Netflix to suggest content based on your viewing habits. However, there are times when you might want to clear your watch history for privacy reasons or simply to reset your viewing recommendations. This guide will walk you through the multiple ways to delete your Netflix history, covering everything from basic steps to more hidden functionalities.

Deleting Individual Titles from Viewing Activity

If you want to remove specific titles from your watch history, Netflix provides an easy way to do this:

Log in to your Netflix account on a web browser.
Select the profile from which you want to delete the history.
Click on your profile icon in the top-right corner and select Account from the dropdown menu.
Scroll down to the Profile & Parental Controls section and click on the profile you want to manage.
Click the Viewing activity link.
You'll see a list of everything you've watched. To remove a title, click the circle with a line through it next to the title you want to delete.

Once you delete a title, it will be removed from your history and will no longer influence your recommendations. Note that it might take up to 24 hours for the changes to take effect across all devices.

Start

Clearing the Entire Viewing History

Unfortunately, Netflix does not provide a straightforward way to clear your entire viewing history with a single click. However, you can manually remove each title one by one as described above. This can be time-consuming if you have an extensive watch history. As of now, there are no third-party tools endorsed by Netflix that can perform bulk deletion.

Deleting Continue Watching Titles

Sometimes, you may want to remove titles from the "Continue Watching" row without necessarily deleting them from your history. Here's how you can do that:

Open Netflix and navigate to the "Continue Watching" section.
Hover over the title you want to remove and click on the three vertical dots that appear.
Select Remove from row.

This action will remove the title from the "Continue Watching" row, but it will remain in your viewing history. This can be useful for keeping your "Continue Watching" row tidy without affecting your recommendations.

Using Mobile Devices to Delete History

You can also delete your Netflix history using the mobile app. The steps are quite similar to those on the web:

Open the Netflix app and log in.
Tap on your profile icon in the top-right corner.
Select Account from the dropdown menu.
Scroll down to the Profile & Parental Controls section and tap on the profile you want to manage.
Tap the Viewing activity link.
Tap the circle with a line through it next to the title you want to delete.

Just like on the web, it can take up to 24 hours for changes to reflect across all devices.

Managing Multiple Profiles

If you have multiple profiles under one Netflix account, each profile has its own viewing history. You'll need to manage the viewing history for each profile individually. This is especially useful if you share your account with family members or friends who have different viewing habits.

Parental Controls and Viewing History

For parents who want to monitor or control their children's viewing habits, Netflix provides a way to manage viewing history through the Profile & Parental Controls section. You can view what your child has been watching and remove any inappropriate content from the history. This can also help in fine-tuning the recommendations that Netflix provides for your child's profile.

Keeping Your Viewing History Private

Privacy is a significant concern for many users. If you're worried about others seeing what you've watched, regularly clearing your viewing history is a good practice. However, be aware that Netflix might still retain data for internal use, such as improving their recommendation algorithms and understanding user behavior patterns.

Hidden Features and Tips

While Netflix doesn't offer a built-in feature to clear your entire viewing history, there are some lesser-known tips and tricks you can use:

For a fresh start, you can create a new profile and delete the old one. This will give you a clean slate without any viewing history.
Use incognito mode in your browser to watch content without it being saved to your history, though this won't work for the Netflix app.
Consider using a separate profile for watching content you don't want to influence your main profile's recommendations.

By understanding and utilizing these features, you can have greater control over your Netflix viewing experience, ensuring it aligns with your preferences and privacy needs.

Deleting Netflix history involves a few steps and requires some manual effort, especially if you want to clear your entire watch history. While the platform doesn't currently offer a one-click solution for bulk deletion, the available tools allow for a good level of customization and control. Whether you're looking to keep your watch list tidy, improve your recommendations, or maintain privacy, these methods provide the necessary flexibility to manage your viewing data effectively.