Never Miss An Episode With Netflix’s New Sleep Timer Feature

Have you ever sat there and wondered ‘what would make Netflix better?’ The answer is a sleep timer, apparently.

Netflix is trialling a few new features at the moment including audio-only mode and a linear channel experience. Along with these, the streamer has decided to test a sleep timer which will switch off your programming after set intervals.

Why would I want a sleep timer on Netflix?

A sleep timer is a handy function if you tend to doze off while watching TV. It means you don’t have to worry about missing an episode or having Netflix autoplay through an entire season while you’re asleep. It’s equally useful for those who like the white noise of a movie while falling asleep and don’t want to worry about switching it off.

How it works is that users can use the Netflix app to select a timer of 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes or “finish watching”. After the select amount of time has passed the app will stop. It’s a particularly useful if you autoplay your Netflix episodes, ensuring they don’t continue to play all night.

How to use Netflix’s sleep timer

As The Verge reports, the trial is only available to select global users on Android devices at the moment. However, if the test goes well, Netflix is apparently considering bringing it to desktop and TV apps as well.

If you’re one of the select few, here’s how you can access the sleep timer:

1. Play a movie or TV show in the Netflix app.
2. Click the timer icon (shaped like a clock) in the upper right corner.
3. Choose your time period.

How to set a sleep timer in other apps

This Netflix sleep timer may only be a trial but there’s a way you can start a sleep timer for yourself, regardless of app or platform.

For iOS users, Mashable has a handy guide for setting up a sleep timer in the Clock app. Here’s how to do it.

1. Open the Clock app and go to the Timer tab.
2. Set your timer for the desired length.
3. Tap When Timer Ends.
4. Scroll to the bottom and select Stop Playing.

This will stop any music or media app from playing after your selected amount of time. It may not be interfaced right into the Netflix app but it still does the same job!

Android users can download the Sleep Timer app which also sets a timer to turn off various media apps to your liking.

There’s no word on when or if this Netflix sleep timer feature will be rolled out more widely, but until then these hacks should get you through.