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How to delete your 'Continue Watching' section on Netflix by hiding your activity

2020-05-28T17:54:00Z
  • You can delete your Continue Watching section on Netflix for each profile in your account settings.  
  • You can hide individual activity such as a specific show or movie, or opt to clear all of your viewing history.
  • These changes can only be made from a desktop as the option is not available on the mobile app.
  • Once you hide an activity, the show or movie will be deleted from your Continue Watching section within 24 hours.
  • This story is a part of Business Insider's Guide to Netflix Tips and Tricks.

Your Continue Watching section is found at the top of your Netflix dashboard so you can easily pick up where you left off without having to search for a show. Thanks to Netflix's algorithms, this section of viewing history is also used to make recommendations for what to watch next. 

But if you've given up on binging a series, being prompted to finish viewing it every time you log in might get a little annoying. To delete items from your Continue Watching section, you'll have to access your account settings. Access to these settings is currently unavailable on the Netflix app, so you'll have to make the change in a browser on a computer. 

In your account settings online, you'll find a complete list of every show and movie you've watched. There, you can hide individual episodes and movies or an entire series. You can also find the option to delete your full viewing history. This action cannot be undone and will reset your recommendations, so make sure it's something you want to do. 

Here's how to do it.

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How to delete your Continue Watching section on Netflix

1. Open Netflix in a web browser on your desktop.

2. Click on your profile icon in the upper right-hand corner.

3. Select "Account" from the dropdown menu.

This dropdown lets you manage your profiles and visit the Help Center. Marissa Perino/Business Insider

4. Scroll down to the "Profile & Parental Controls" section at the bottom and click the arrow next to your profile name.

5. Click "View" next to Viewing Activity.

You can find this section and option past your billing details and settings. Marissa Perino/Business Insider

6. Scroll your "Viewing Activity" until you find what you're looking for, then click the null icon to hide the item from your viewing history.

The button that lets you hide content from your viewing history is to the right of the "Report a problem" link. Marissa Perino/Business Insider

7. This will immediately remove the item from the list, and within 24 hours, it will no longer appear on your homepage. 

8. If the item removed was part of a series, the option "Hide series?" will appear. Click the prompt to remove the whole show.

If you click "Hide series?" you'll see the removal message appear over every episode from that series. Marissa Perino/Business Insider

9. If you wish to clear your entire history, scroll to the bottom of the page.

10. Click the blue "Hide all" option.

This action cannot be undone, and you will lose all of your history. Marissa Perino/Business Insider

11. Click the blue "Yes, hide all my viewing activity" to confirm.

Your recommendation algorithm will be reset, and Netflix will no longer suggest similar shows to watch. Marissa Perino/Business Insider
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spanMarissa Perino is a former editorial intern covering executive lifestyle. She previously worked at Cold Lips in London and Creative Nonfiction in Pittsburgh. She studied journalism and communications at the University of Pittsburgh, along with creative writing. Find her on Twitter: @mlperino./span Marissa Perino Marissa Perino is a former editorial intern covering executive lifestyle. She previously worked at Cold Lips in London and Creative Nonfiction in Pittsburgh. She studied journalism and communications at the University of Pittsburgh, along with creative writing. Find her on Twitter: @mlperino. Read more Read less

Disclosure: Mathias Döpfner, CEO of Business Insider's parent company, Axel Springer, is a Netflix board member.

Insider Inc. receives a commission when you buy through our links.

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