For anyone who shares their Netflix with multiple people, it may be a little harder to chill. You may be constantly worried about them knowing exactly what you're watching. And while there's no reason to be embarrassed by your penchant for watching Grease or Grease 2 (which both fall into the category of "guilty pleasure musicals"), it would be nice to be able to hide some of those guilty pleasures that fill your watchlist. Well, get ready to breathe a sigh of relief, because Netflix lets you delete your viewing history.
In its July 2017 newsletter, Netflix reminded users of its "smarter viewing" features that include the ability to create as many as five different personalized profiles. Sure, giving your mom her own profile would certainly keep her from knowing what you've been spending all your time watching. But, Netflix created something even smarter, something they've dubbed the "You Do You" feature. The streaming service states, "If you want to watch embarrassing stuff and never let anyone know, you can always delete what you've viewed within your profile." Just another sign that Netflix just gets you.
Netflix also made it pretty simple to delete your viewing history from your computer. It only takes a few steps. First, you need to go to the drop down menu in the top right corner. It'll be where your name and icon are. Then you'll click on Account and scroll down to the section that says My Profile. Click on Viewing Activity, and you'll be taken to a list of all the things you've been watching. Click that X on the righthand side of the title that you'd like to see disappear and poof — it's like you never watched it.
It's even more fun scrolling through the list to see what you may have watched that you totally forgot about. It's like a glimpse into the past, and maybe even a nostalgic trip that will have you going back in time to see what you were watching say, two years ago today. (For me, that would be marathoning through Season 3 of Orange is The New Black.)
If that still seems a bit too complicated, Netflix has another suggestion: Create a profile that's just for those shows you'd like to keep secret. "You can even start a new profile just for those embarrassing shows," Netflix's statement explained. "Then delete it afterward."
The streaming service is clearly working at genius levels to keep you from feeling bad about what you've been watching. So, go on, watch Lifetime's Drop Dead Diva alone for the hundredth time in peace, knowing no one ever has to know.
