How to delete Netflix history?

11-Jan-2024

If you’re a regular Netflix user, you’ll probably want to delete your streaming history at some stage. Whether you’ve watched an embarrassing movie or show, need to hide content from your children, or are sick of getting Netflix recommendations based on that one show you only watched for two episodes.

Fortunately, removing individual or several shows from your Netflix history is simple, either using the Netflix app or signing into your Netflix account on your computer.

What is Recently Watched on Netflix?

Netflix tracks very little, but it does track what you watch and when you watch it. Part of that is determining if the material it delivers is popular, and part of it is assisting you in locating that foreign language show you watched last week but need help remembering the name of. This is what the Recently Watched feature is for.

Depending on how you use Netflix, there should be a Watch Again section on the Netflix front page that shows you what you’ve just watched. It will only cover some things, but if you’re looking for a show you saw a while ago, it’s a decent place to start.

Can you delete watch history on Netflix?

The Watch Again section will not show you every item you have viewed on Netflix. You will have to navigate to your viewing activity to see everything you have watched and delete content from your viewing history.

Once you find your viewing activity, you can delete your watch history. Follow the steps below to find out how to do this.

How to delete Netflix history on Windows and Mac

Deleting your Netflix history on Windows and Mac is the same as it is done on the Netflix website. To delete your viewing history on Netflix, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to the Netflix homepage and hover your cursor over your profile photo in the top right corner. From the drop-down menu, select “Account”.
2. Scroll down to “Profile & Parental Controls.” Select the right one if you have multiple profiles on your account. Click the intended profile, then click “Viewing activity.”  
3. You’ll be shown a list of every episode and movie you’ve ever watched and the dates you saw them. When you’ve found the show you wish to remove, click the small line-within-a-circle sign on the far right of it.

If you wish to remove an entire show from your viewing history after deleting one episode, you’ll find an option to “Hide Series.” By selecting this option, you will erase every episode of the show from your watching history, and Netflix’s algorithm will no longer use it to recommend new episodes and movies to you.

How to delete Netflix history on Android

It’s not possible to delete your Netflix history on the Netflix app. Even on Android, you will still need to use a web browser.

1. Open Netflix with your preferred web browser.
2. Tap the menu icon (three horizontal bars in the app’s top left corner).
3. Scroll down and click the “Account”.
4. Scroll down to the “Profile and Parental Controls” area and tap on the profile you want to view.
5. Scroll down and select the “Viewing Activity” option.

You should now be able to see all of the Netflix movies and TV series you’ve already watched. You have two options, as described previously: remove your whole Netflix history or delete films and TV series individually.

Scroll to the bottom and select “Hide all,” then “Yes, hide all my viewing activity.” To delete titles individually, hit the circular icon next to a movie or TV show, then click “Hide series?” to delete the entire series. The titles you choose will be permanently deleted within 24 hours.

How to delete Netflix history on iPhone

This is almost identical to how it’s done on Android. Here are the steps to deleting viewing history on iPhone:

1. On your iPhone, open the Netflix app.
2. In the bottom-right corner, tap the “More” tab (the icon with three horizontal lines).
3. Scroll to the bottom and select “Account.”
4. This will launch Netflix in your browser.
5. Scroll down to the “Profile & Parental Controls” area and select the profile from which you want to remove the history.
6. Click the “Viewing activity” link under the profile name.

1. Here, you can discover a list of all the series and movies you have seen. Tap the “X” icon next to remove a single item. 
2. Tap the “Hide all” option to remove your viewing history.

How to delete Netflix history from your TV

Follow these instructions to remove your Netflix watching history directly from your TV:

1. Turn on your TV and use your remote to navigate the Netflix app.
2. If you haven’t already, log in to your Netflix account once the app is launched.
3. Locate and pick your profile symbol on the Netflix home screen, typically in the top right or left corner.
4. Select “Account” or “Settings” from the profile menu.
5. Navigate through the account or settings menu on the TV remote until you discover the option for “Viewing activity” or “Watch history.”
6. Navigate to the “Watch history” or “Viewing activity” area.
7. You will get a list of all the Netflix episodes and movies you have seen. 
8. If you wish to clear your Netflix watching history, look for the option to “Clear all” or “Delete all.” Select this option to clear your history of all titles.
9. When prompted, confirm the deletion.
   

Why you should consider resetting your profile

If the viewing recommendations Netflix provides you are too similar, it is because you have spent the last several weeks watching the same type of content. If you want to make a change, you must reset your watching settings so that Netflix does not profile you and serve you titles based on your past preferences.

You can erase specific entries from your viewing activity or reset everything to reset your profile. Scroll to the bottom of your activity and click Hide All to reset your profile. You must confirm your selection, but once you do, Netflix will progressively delete all of your history. Once done, your Netflix selections will be entirely new, and you can resume developing your viewing profile.

Clearing your Netflix Recently Watched titles is the same as starting afresh. It’s a reset that prevents the service from showing you everything it thinks you want to watch and instead shows you a much broader range of titles.

Still watching?

Now you know how to delete your watch history from Netflix. With these steps, you can remove unwanted content from your viewing history and reset your recommendations from the service.