How To Clear Netflix History On Tv

Netflix, with thousands of new titles updated every month, your recently watched content may fill up quickly. Whether you want to keep your viewing activity private, or you want to stream on a family member's account undetected, we'll show you how to remove your recently watched shows.

How to Remove Recently Watched Shows from Netflix on PC and Mac

If you're using a PC, a Mac, or a web browser on a mobile device, you can follow the steps below to remove your viewing activity. If you have more than one profile, you will need to remove the viewing activity for each profile.

Visit the Netflix website and follow these instructions:

Log in to your Netflix account, hover over your profile icon, and then click Account.
Now, click on the arrow icon to the right of your profile.
Next, underneath the Profile & Parental Controls section, click on View to the right of Viewing activity.
If you want to remove just one episode simply click on the circle and select Hide from your history.
You can also hide the entire series by clicking on Hide Series? This appears after you've removed one item of a set in your watch history.
You can also hide your entire history by scrolling to the bottom and clicking on the Hide all option.

That's it; you're done! You've removed all that questionable content from your Netflix and can watch your shows in the comfort of knowing you can remove them again with ease.

Removing Viewing History on the iOS Mobile App

Unfortunately, Netflix has removed the account access options for the app version of the streaming service. If you'd like to remove your viewing history from your mobile device, use a web browser and log into Netflix.

Click on the browser's menu option and choose 'Desktop Site' then follow the steps above to remove your recently watched history.

How to Remove Recently Watched Shows from Netflix on Android

Android users still have an Account option in their Netflix app. This will automatically take you to a web browser, but it is viewable in the mobile version of the website, making it much easier to work with.

Open the Netflix app, and tap on the profile you'd like to edit.
Now, tap the three vertical lines in the lower right-hand corner.

Note: You may be prompted to select a web browser and login.
Then, tap on Account.
Tap on the down arrow next to your profile.
Next, tap on Viewing activity.
As with the instructions above, you can click the circle with the line in it to remove one show, or click Hide all.

Hiding your viewing history is really simple once you understand the layout. You will have to use a web browser, but Safari, Chrome, and even Samsung Internet can perform the task.

How to Remove Netflix Recently Watched Shows on a Roku Device

Open the Netflix app located on the Roku homepage.
Click on a title you want to remove from your Continue watching list and scroll down in the pop-up menu until you see Remove from My List, select this to remove it.
You'll need to repeat the above step with all the titles you want to remove from your Continue watching list.

Other Netflix Features for a Better Experience

Netflix offers quite a few ways to customize your content. This means there are a lot of features and options in the settings. Aside from simply removing your recently watched content, you can also manage video playback settings and recommended shows.

Using the same navigational directions above, you can click on the down arrow next to your profile to access some pretty neat features.

For example, you can turn off the auto-play function. If you're the type who falls asleep watching the latest episodes of Stranger Things, turn off the auto-play feature to avoid missing episodes.

If you want Netflix to give you better recommendations, be sure to rate the shows you've watched in the past. Next to each title (you can access them from the viewing activity section above) has a thumbs-up or thumbs-down option. If you really like a show, give it a thumbs-up, and Netflix will recommend similar content with similar ratings.

Lastly, you can upgrade your summer subscription to watch content in 4k. Giving you four streams with better quality at once, it is certainly a feature worth mentioning for the serious binge-watcher.

Having Trouble?

Deleting your Netflix watch history is pretty straightforward for the most part. But, there are a few things you should know just in case you run into problems.

Of course, you probably logged into the right account to delete your watch history, but if you went through the process and it didn't work, double-check that you're logged in properly. Next, Netflix states it can take up to 24 hours to remove your watched history on all devices. If it doesn't disappear immediately, wait it out or log in on another device.

Lastly, a child's profile will not present the option to delete watch history. For whatever reason, Netflix restricts minors from deleting their history so try another profile instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some more answers to your most frequently asked questions about managing Netflix's recently watched list.

There is recent viewing that I didn't watch. Is this a glitch?

If you see content in your recently viewed section, it's likely because someone else is using your Netflix profile. Under the account settings, you can view login activity.

First, check for any devices that don't belong to you (or locations that aren't near you). You can click the option to 'Sign Out of all Devices' and change your password to secure your account.

Can I just delete an entire Netflix profile?

Yes, if you have a profile you'd like to remove (aside from the one the account was created with), you can click the edit option from within the app and remove the profile with all of its stored content.

If I delete my account, will my watch history be deleted?

When you delete your Netflix account, it takes about ten months for all accompanying data to disappear with it. This means that you can recover your account with your watch history intact for up to 10 months after you cancel your subscription.

After this recovery time frame has ended, you can create a new account without the watch or search history.

How do I recover my Continue Watching content?

If you deleted your watch history, then you also deleted your Continue Watching content. The shows and movies that you haven't finished yet will no longer appear in the section of Netflix that allows you to pick back up where you left off. Honestly, there doesn't seem to be a way to recover the content if you deleted it, but you can always start watching the show again.

Many users have complained that their Continued Watching content disappeared. Assuming you didn't delete it, but it is gone, you can contact Netflix support for help. There is a glitch that causes this content to be removed, then come back, and perhaps removed again. Because the feature makes the platform much easier to use, it's worth reaching out to Netflix's support for help on this one.

Can you clear the search history on Netflix?

Netflix doesn't really keep track of the shows and movies you've searched for, so there's no reason to delete it, and therefore there's no option to do so. Deleting your viewing history should suffice for privacy.

If you want to completely clear your search history on Netflix, we have an article here to help you do that. Once permanently canceled, you can open a new account or use a different username to create a new account.

Can I delete the main profile on my account?

No. But, you can make some edits and delete the viewing history. If you originally set the account up for someone else and would now like to refresh it for yourself, the original profile will need to remain.

Click the edit option to update the name and profile picture. Then, delete all of the viewing activity to start fresh. Not only will this remove the content that has been watched, but it will also remove the continued watching content and the biased recommendations that are based on previously streamed genres.

Final Thoughts

Netflix's viewing history also controls your continued watching content and suggested content, so be mindful of that when making changes. Of course, cleaning up your Netflix account after years of binge-watching is still a good thing most of the time.

Are you clearing your recent binge of Netflix shows? Is the content no longer available? Share your thoughts in the comments below.