Netflix has a huge library of content, but its well-designed app may be one of the service’s more attractive features. Now, Netflix is testing a new audio-only mode on its Android app.
As first reported by the folks over at Android Police, some Android users are seeing a new toggle while streaming shows and movies that turns off the video stream entirely, leaving users only with the audio from that piece of content. For a video streaming service, this may seem odd, but it’s likely a feature that some people will use for familiar TV shows and movies or perhaps even Netflix’s huge library of stand-up comedy.
When this feature is used, the video toggles off completely, leaving the screen mostly blank aside from the typical Netflix controls. In audio-only mode, Netflix still shows play/pause, timeline, speed, screen lock, episode, subtitle, and next episode buttons. Even the brightness slider still appears, which, admittedly, becomes useless with no content on screen. The only thing new is a toggle to turn the video back on, the same toggle used to turn it off in the first place.
It’s unclear if Netflix can use this new audio-only mode to leave the app running in the background sans picture-in-picture, but that could very well be the end goal.
In the app’s settings menu, Netflix allows users to leave this feature available at all times or only show up when using external audio, such as headphones.
It’s unclear when this feature will roll out widely.
More on Netflix:
- Netflix is rolling out playback speed controls on Android, coming to iOS, web soon
- Google TV app no longer shows content available on Netflix
- Netflix now offers some of its original shows for free on Android, web
Author: Ben Schoon
Source: 9TO5Google
