Netflix - Softonic English

How to use Netflix’s new Smart downloads feature

Netflix has announced a new feature that will help mobile users save on data usage. If you’re an iPhone user, however, there is bad news. This new feature is only available on Android versions of the Netflix app. The new feature is called Smart Downloads, and it is an excellent way to get your TV fix without hitting your monthly data allowance.

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Smart Downloads is a simple on/off toggle switch. When Smart Downloads is activated, your phone will automatically delete an episode once you have watched it and then download the next one when you next connect to Wi-Fi. It offers a simple way to keep the space on your phone free while your phone is always up-to-date with fresh new content to watch when you don’t have an active internet connection.

How to use Netflix Smart Downloads

All you have to do to activate Netflix’s Smart Downloads feature is…

Open the app and hit More in the bottom right-hand corner.
Tap App Settings.
Toggle the Smart Downloads switch to On.

That’s all there is to it. Once activated, you won’t have to worry about deleting old episodes or downloading new ones. Netflix will take care of everything and make sure it only does so over a Wi-Fi connection. When a download is taking place, you’ll see a status bar at the top of the page, in case you don’t want to disconnect from the Wi-Fi before the download is complete.

This new feature is available now on the Android version of the app, but there is still no word about when it is coming to iOS.

How to ask for a movie or TV show to be added to Netflix

Good news, folks. You can ask Netflix to add titles to their library. Here’s how.

It’s Saturday night and you open Netflix, looking for something to watch. You scroll and scroll and scroll and nothing seems right. “Man, I wish they had [NAME OF YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE],” you say. “Because I could totally go for some [NAME OF YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE].”

Good news, folks. You can ask Netflix to add titles to their library. Just click here.

And apparently, Netflix thinks everyone knows about this.

You know the drill: https://t.co/G11xj04UWP

— Netflix Philippines (@Netflix_PH) June 4, 2018

…but nobody knew about this…

LITERALLY NO ONE KNOWS THAT DRILL https://t.co/WBq2hJMuS1

— Chelsea Peretti (@chelseaperetti) June 4, 2018

You can request virtually anything, but that’s no guarantee Netflix will add the title. Content companies are becoming pretty territorial. As Disney just gobbled up Fox, you can bet they’re going to build their own Netflix rival, so they won’t lend out more titles beyond their current content agreement. And that also means you can ask for the “Toy Story” trilogy all you want, but Buzz and Woody will stay locked safely in Disney’s toybox.

As news of the request page spread, some folks got creative, like Reddit user Teaspoonsareforsoup:

Considering how Netflix has saved other shows from oblivion, there’s always hope.

If you manage to get Netflix to add one of your suggestions, let us know!

You’ll soon be able to play video games on Netflix

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Get better internet for 12

The internet is the backbone of society. Never before has it penetrated so widely or so deeply. It’s in virtually everything we do, from shopping to hiring a taxi.

We rely on the internet so much, it’s easy to get frustrated when it’s not working. We often sit at the laptop, fiddling with wifi settings, IP addresses, and DNS servers to boost speeds or fix faulty connections. The problem is, we often make things worse.

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When things are going well, we tend to spend our time enjoying the fruits of the world wide web instead of learning how they grow. But when things go wrong, troubleshooting can be an overwhelming, confusing, and intimidating experience.

Although we’re dependent on the internet for almost everything, few of us understand how it works. Forums and YouTube tutorials help with the basics, but can only do so much. Internet connections fail in a thousand different ways, and understanding the root cause and the means to fix it often require specialist knowledge many of us lack.

Nevertheless, when Netflix pixelates or Spotify won’t connect, we don’t want to waste hours on the phone to our ISP (Internet Service Provider). Going through the motions with tech support can be gruelling, especially if you’re unsure of what you’re describing, and more often than not the problem is a simple one. If only you had an expert on hand to analyse and optimise your internet connection, everything would be fine…

Well, now you can. Ashampoo Internet Accelerator 3 will solve most internet connection problems in a single click. Ashampoo has assessed many of the common internet connectivity issues and programmed Internet Accelerator 3 to identify and fix them automatically, without your help. Not only does this save you time reading technical forum posts or on frustrating calls to IT support, but also prevents misdiagnosis, which can make a simple problem worse.

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Internet Accelerator 3 works by analysing your computer’s internet settings. Then, it configures these settings to increase the speed and stability of your connection. It’s all done automatically through a clean, simple user interface, so you can choose just how involved you want to be. Advanced users can view and change the settings themselves.

Aside from fixing common internet problems and boosting performance, Internet Accelerator 3 also speeds up browsers like Internet Explorer and Firefox. It’ll clean up old temporary internet files and cookies, too, freeing up hard drive space for more important content.

Ashampoo Internet Accelerator 3 ensures you’re getting the fastest, stablest connection without opening a help page or dialling a support line. Download it today for just $12 . That’s better internet performance for less than a breakfast.

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The 5 best sites for streaming recommendations

Benjamin Franklin once said only two things in life are certain: death and taxes. Not to take away from the great man’s words, but here at Softonic, we’d like to add a third: too little time. Especially when trying to enjoy the endless stream of great TV shows and movies coming out.

You’re probably already familiar with this problem. You get home after a long day of work, turn on the TV, open your favorite streaming site, and instead of jumping straight into a great show, you spend hours just browsing. By the time you’ve chosen, it’s 2 a.m., and you’re getting less than four hours sleep again. What a drag.

Fortunately, there are many sites out there to help you find the best shows, and we’d like to share some of the most useful ones with you today.

1. Instantwatcher

Instantwatcher helps Netflix and Amazon users explore the streaming catalog of each site in the most efficient way possible. You can play or queue titles directly from the website, and it charts the most popular shows as well as new titles just breaking ground.

2. Metacritic

Considered by many the most comprehensive listing site, Metacritic is both easy to navigate and helps you sort the good from the bad as judged by both critics and the general population. You don’t get personalized recommendations, but the site has loads of round-ups and lists that help point you in the right direction.

3. SynopsiTV

SynopsiTV is the opposite of Metacritic – it’s all about personalized recommendations instead of following the crowd. There are sections for movies and TV shows, and as you log what you’ve watched before, you get tips on similar content. You can also search by genre, actor, year, and various other criteria. Plus, you can follow other users on the site and compare favorites.

4. agoodmovietowatch

agoodmovietowatch is exactly what it says: an independent site that recommends the best movies and TV shows streaming right now, as well as promoting lesser-known titles you might not have considered. You can search by mood, genre, name, or staff selection, and even share the love by recommending your own binge-worthy show for everyone to enjoy.

5. Televisor

Televisor is nice and simple – just type in a TV show you like, and the site will spit out something similar. What’s more, each results page offers plenty of detail so you can make an informed choice, and you can also pick between new releases or classic shows when you’re searching.

Even better, there are built-in links to Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon, so you don’t even need to search twice once you know what you’re after. Just click, and it’ll start streaming. The same format for movie recommendations is available on sister site Movievisor.

We hope that one of the above sites can help you finally make that all-important decision on what to watch tonight. Who knows, you might even stumble on the next great show.

The 5 best ways to watch free movies

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Instagram’s IGTV video hub offers videos of up to an hour

Instagram is launching IGTV, a new hub where content creators can showcase up to 60 minutes of video content. IGTV is not supposed to be to be a direct competitor to the likes of Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, or HBO; but rather an attempt to take on YouTube. The onus will be on well-made user-generated video content created by the people who are most familiar with the Instagram platform.

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We first reported on Instagram’s plans for video at the beginning of the month when a report from The Wall Street Journal indicated that the social network was thinking of removing video time limits. Since then, Tech Crunch reported that the platform will be launching today, June 20. Instagram has been meeting content creators all week to discuss the creation of videos that are much closer to the 10-minute length commonly found on YouTube.

SCOOP: Instagram launching Snapchat-like vertical video TODAY

Video length: 15s to 60 mins
File size: upto 3.6GB
File type: .MP4
Video size: 9:16
Video thumbnail / cover image: .JPG

Likely to be officially launched @ 6pm UK (Wed 20 June) pic.twitter.com/bEcMp9fLjG

— Matt Navarra (@MattNavarra) June 20, 2018

Tech Crunch also revealed various details about the types of videos that Instagram will on allow on IGTV. Videos will be vertically oriented, and content creators will be able to upload 4K videos up to an hour in length. They’ll be available in a centralized hub, which we know will be called IGTV. There’ll also be options for creators to link out to their own social media and web platforms, but the social network will also offer a revenue sharing system. More info will follow on the partnerships Instagram has fostered over the last week, and examples of the types of content we’re likely to see on IGTV

Win cash prizes on Facebook game shows

Facebook’s Watch tab has been a bit of a flop. The new video platform, designed to showcase professionally produced shows, hasn’t really taken off at all but Facebook is not giving up on it just yet. We recently told you about the first of Facebook’s funded news shows, and now Facebook has released details of a cool new initiative that could bring more interactive content to Facebook. Even better, interactive content that could see you winning real cash prizes.

Polls and Quizzes. Facebook says this is just the beginning.

If you think this sounds a little like the trivia game show apps that became sort of a big deal at the beginning of the year, you’d be right. Rather than building their own app to compete against the likes of HQ Trivia, Facebook has decided to launch an entire platform to make it easier for content creators everywhere to broadcast interactive game shows on Facebook. If you’re a content creator and publisher and think this is something you could do you can sign up for early access here.

HQ - Live Trivia Game Show Download Now

Facebook believes that video doesn’t have to be a one-way, passive experience and it isn’t alone. With Netflix recently announcing that it is going to start streaming video games, how we consume media could be about to get a major overhaul. Netflix wants to start offering us stories with choices, along the lines of the extremely popular Telltale Games franchises. Facebook, however, has a slightly different idea:

“Today, we’re announcing new ways for creators and publishers to create interactive videos. We’re starting with polling for both Live and on demand videos, as well as gamification for Live. With these tools, our partners can add a range of new interactive features to videos such as: polls, quiz questions, challenges, and more. These can all be used within an individual video or to create a standalone game show.”

These changes aren’t exactly revolutionary, but they mark a good start if Facebook is going to take people away from passive viewing experiences. Passive consumption of too much social media content can be harmful to users.

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Polling works similarly to how we see polls working on regular shows already. It allows show creators to gauge public opinion on various elements of their content and could potentially shape the direction they’ll take with future content.

Gamification for live broadcasts will bring in the sort of elements we’ve seen popularized by the gameshow apps we’ve already mentioned. Facebook sees massively multiplayer game shows taking place or even head to head battles between different shows and their respective super fans.

The key here is that Facebook is opening up a new avenue for content creators to explore and has even announced the first partnerships, along with details of the shows they’ll be creating:

“Confetti by INSIDER: A live interactive game show made in partnership with INSIDER that will air daily. It will challenge people to answer pop culture trivia questions alongside — and with the help of — their friends. Players can see which friends are playing at the same time, and be able to see how friends answered questions. Players who answer all questions correctly may be eligible to split a cash prize.
Outside Your Bubble by BuzzFeed News: An all-new game show made in partnership with BuzzFeed News that challenges contestants to step outside their “bubble” and reach across the cultural divide to guess what their opponents on the other side are really
What’s in The Box by Fresno: A live and participatory game show, made in partnership with Fresno, where viewers can win prizes for correctly guessing the contents of a closed box. It’s simple. It’s goofy. It’s tons of fun.”

These opening shows on Facebook’s new platform will be coming to the social network in the next few weeks, but Facebook promises there will be many following later on.

9 out-of-this-world features on your favorite apps that NOBODY knows about

Our favorite apps are updated almost every week. The bad news is that these updates usually go unnoticed. Did you know that Facebook helps you look for public Wi-Fi? Or that Gmail can write your emails for you? So you don’t miss out on the best new features on your favorite apps, we’ve compiled the best updates in recent months.

1. Gmail writes your emails for you

Gmail offers an option called “Canned Responses.” This feature saves messages or phrases that you use most often and suggests them when you draft an email, saving you time.

Want to enable this option? You have to go to the settings section in Gmail called Labs. Gmail Labs is a testing center with “far-fetched” experiments (according to Google) of all kinds. You can access Gmail Labs here.

The feature you’re looking for is called “Canned Responses” and all you have to do is click on “Enable” and then “Save Changes” at the bottom of the page.

Next time you compose an email you’d like to save as a canned response, click the little triangle on the lower right-hand side of the screen. That opens a menu with an option for “Canned responses.” Just move over and click “Save” if you’d like to save that email so you can fire it off again someday.

You may have noticed a basic AI version of this at the bottom of messages you read on the Gmail app on your phone. They look like this:

2. Gmail’s most invisible feature

It’s unlikely that you’ve noticed this Gmail update because it’s designed to go unseen.

Haven’t you noticed lately that you’ve received fewer spam emails with suspicious links? Gmail has enhanced its ability to detect and delete this type of email even before it reaches your inbox. It’s not yet 100 percent foolproof, but it’ll keep you safer than before.

3. Make wish lists on Google Maps

Google Maps lets you make lists of places you’d like to visit. Imagine that you’re planning a vacation to Paris. You can make a list of those museums, restaurants, and attractions that you’d like to visit. And you can share the list with those you’re traveling with. Or with anybody, for that matter!

Google Maps users are making the most of this feature to share recommended places or themed attractions. To use this feature, it’s as easy as pinpointing a place in the app, clicking “Save” and choosing the list with the green label that says “Want to go.”

4. Share anything with WhatsApp

WhatsApp lets you share any file type (mp3, videos…) between contacts provided that these files do not exceed 100MB in size. Instead of sending 100 photos one-by-one, why don’t you send them as a .zip file, for example?

5. WhatsApp gets their act together…kind of

It’s taken a while, but WhatsApp now has filters, like Instagram and the rest! At the time of writing this article, there are just five filters and they’re only available on iOS; no news on when they’ll arrive on Android.

6. Facebook helps you find Wi-Fi

Facebook has a relatively new feature called “Find Wi-Fi.” It’s a little bit hidden. First you have to click on the three horizontal lines on the lower menu bar. Click on “See More.” There you’ll find it and you can enable “Find Wi-Fi.”

After enabling it, Facebook will show you a map with the closest Wi-Fi hotspots as well as details about these hotspots, like which businesses they belong to.

7. Download movies and TV series from Netflix

Taking a plane somewhere? Bring your tablet packed with your favorite Netflix movies and shows! Not all Netflix offerings are available: pay attention to the download icon that appears on the TV series or movie listing. Amazon Prime also offers this feature.

8. Spotify Codes

Spotify has a feature called Spotify Codes. Have you noticed that below songs, playlists, and albums, there is a barcode in the shape of a sound wave? If you don’t see it, click on the three dots to access Spotify’s advanced options.

You can exchange these sound codes with your friends and they only have to open the Camera feature within Spotify for apps to scan them.

Also, Spotify Codes are an excellent way for artists to become known, as they can insert their codes on social media so the rest of the world can quickly access their songs.

9. Muting on Twitter

Got some people on Twitter who won’t stop spoiling your favorite TV series or spewing goofy conspiracy theories? Don’t want to block them because sometimes you talk to them and some of their Tweets are interesting?

Twitter now lets you mute whoever you want. Muting means that their messages will not appear on your feed, all without their knowledge. You’ll receive notifications if they mention you in a Tweet or if you receive direct messages from them. And you can check their Tweets when you feel like it.

Muting is as easy as clicking on the “down arrow” on one of their Tweets. You’ll see this option, among others.

Have you found any hidden features you’d like to share? Let us know in the comments!

You’ll soon be able to play video games on Netflix

Do you ever wish you could play games on Netflix? Soon, you’ll be able to. This is not a drill. We repeat: Video games are coming to Netflix.

According to TechRadar, Netflix is partnering with Telltale Games to provide a streaming game experience. TechRadar reports that Minecraft: Story Mode will be a five-part episodic adventure and might be available to stream on Netflix later this year.

Don’t expect Xbox-level gameplay or anything. Telltale offers simple choose-your-own-adventure-style experiences. You’ll watch a video, then make a choice that plays the next video, and so on. TechRadar says the games will work as long as you have a controller with direction buttons.

Telltale is also working on a “Stranger Things” game, which would be a perfect way to start the Netflix partnership. (Press “up” to make Eleven shred the skin of the Demogorgon, press “left” to rescue Barb from the Upside-Down?)

Will people actually play games on Netflix or will it just be a weird experiment? It’s anybody’s guess, but the possibilities are intriguing…

Big things coming to Netflix

Source: Mark Wilson/Getty Images.

From Stranger Things to releasing an entire TV Series at the same time Netflix has never been afraid to try new things. The strategy has been successful as Netflix has a whopping 117 million paying subscribers. With Netflix flying high, it’ll be no surprise that they’re continuing in their efforts to innovate and bring the biggest names to their online streaming platform.

The latest of Netflix’s new efforts come in the shape of gamification. Netflix has rolled out, to test audiences, the addition of Netflix patches to certain Netflix original shows, namely Netflix Original shows for kids. The idea is to offer kids virtual prizes for watching episodes of certain shows on Netflix. Do you think your kid will want to collect all the Netflix patches?

Another effort from Netflix, which is arguably much bigger than virtual patches, is the streaming service’s attempts to sign Barack Obama to produce a show. Obama has already appeared on Netflix, as a guest on David Letterman’s show My Guest Needs no Introduction, and a Netflix show would give President Obama a chance to communicate with the 117 million people around the world who have signed up to Netflix. We’d love to hear your ideas for Obama’s Netflix show in the comments below.

Oscars honest trailers

Source: Youtube (Screen Junkies)

The Oscars have been and gone, and the results seem to indicate a revolution could be about to grip Hollywood. From the Time’s Up movement to a black man taking home the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay via the Best Film going to a movie about a romantic relationship between a woman and a sea creature; Hollywood seems to be finally waking up to the fact that you don’t need to be a middle-aged white man to be capable of creating beautiful art. Even Netflix took home an Oscar.

This is all great news as it’ll open up new opportunities to artists and creators who have for too long been denied their chance to shine. Let’s not forget to laugh, however, at the pomp and ceremony of it all, and what better way to do it than via the internet sensation that is Honest Trailers. Check out below all of the honest trailers for this year’s biggest Oscar nominees and see if they affect your views on the night’s big winners.