Netflix is currently testing a special audio mode only for its mobile applications – especially Android. Wbut there is no guarantee that such a useful function will see the light of day in a stable version, it is promising, toAnd if you’re lucky, you can test the function right now.
I totally understand that you are making fun of the idea of ”listening” to a movie instead of watching it, believe me. I would have had the same reaction, but I used to do this all the time in my early days as a technical editor. A bunch of Maximum PC employees spent their day in the lab performing all sorts of reference tests, building (and breaking) various components and packing and unpacking unlimited shipping boxes. We put on movies to pass the time, but it’s not like we could watch and watch them. I had shit to do.
Did something get lost through an exclusively audio experience? Obviously, yes, but if it’s a movie you’re already familiar with, losing images – or just checking them from time to time, or looking for favorite scenes – isn’t such a big deal. I see the same thing true if you are on a road trip and you want to have something more interesting to listen to than the radio (or your favorite podcasts). Why not dress up your favorite movie? And ssince you don’t stream videos, you should use much less of your precious cellular data capacity (theoretically).
To see if you’re eligible for Netflix’s audio-only trial period, you’ll need to make sure you’re running at least version 7.84.1 (version 28 35243) of the Android app. This is easy to check in the Google Play Store; just touch “About this application” and scroll down until you see the version number in Application Information.
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If you can, try signing up for the Netflix beta at the bottom of the app list. It was complete when I checked, but if you can enter, you will only increase the chances that you will be selected to test these types of limited version features.
A word about it: Because Netflix audio mode is just an unlock on the server, you may not see it in your application, even if you’re running the most up-to-date version you can get. If you’re eligible, you’ll know pretty quickly once you drag something to watch on Netflix. At the top of the view, just above the pause button, you’ll see an option to turn the video on and off.
I don’t have this option, so I have the usual screen shown above. (Also blame Netflix for not allowing screenshots of its content.)
If you can access the feature – lucky – you’ll also find a new option on the Netflix Settings screen. Under modified Video and audio playback from the app settings, you’ll be able to choose when Netflix should default to audio mode only: always, never, or whenever it detects that you’re using external headphones or speakers.
We don’t know when Netflix will release this feature to everyone, if it will ever do so, but we will report back if it changes. I can’t wait to check the function, though, because I can’t wait to enjoy movies without wasting precious data in those moments when I can’t stare at my screen for hours on end.