Netflix is reportedly allowing users to turn off the video of playback and continue in just audio. This new audio-only mode was initially seen in October and now rolling to selected users through a server-side update. This could be useful while in outdoor activities and also potentially save data.
Netflix Testing Audio-only Mode
While we all know how popular Netflix is, it’s a wonder that it does not have an audio-only mode to date. This may not seem necessary for a video streaming giant, but being an option is good. As Netflix realizes this lately, it’s now rolling out support for audio-only mode gradually.
As spotted by Android Police in Netflix’s version 7.84.1 build 28.35243, users can select a new option called “Video Off” while playing content.
Turning this on switches to audio-only mode, with all the controls as usual. Users still get to control the playback speed, play/pause, and move back and forth in the playlist.
Though it seems useful, at least for the content that doesn’t need a video like stand-up comedy or sitcoms, also, it could be a go-to option while being in an outdoor activity like cycling or just picking groceries in a store.
While this may seem like a podcast option, that cannot be as podcasts are made especially for playing in audio-only mode.
Also Read- Netflix Introduced Playback Speed Settings For More Flexible Steaming
This support was initially spotted by XDA Developers, who found new strings in Netflix’s Android app code in October this year.
The platform starts rolling this feature to only selected users as of now, that too as a server-side update. So this doesn’t require updating the app to get this, although being on the latest version is recommended.