With the launch of user profiles, Netflix is hoping to fix the messy Instant Watch queues and bad recommendations that come with having several people share a single account.
Profiles are rolling out today for all Netflix users. You’ll be able to set them up–a maximum of five per account–on Netflix’s website or a PlayStation 3, with more setup devices coming later.
Once set up, profiles will appear on the iPad, iPhone, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Apple TV and newer smart TVs. Support for Android, Nintendo’s Wii and other devices is coming soon.
After you’ve added profiles, you’ll see a “Who’s watching?” window pop up whenever you access Netflix. You can also switch between profiles on the website from the top-right corner of the screen.
Each profile has its own recommendations, viewing history and Instant Watch queue. You can also connect separate Facebook accounts to each profile to share viewing habits and see what your friends are watching. Profiles should actually make Facebook connectivity a lot more useful, since you won’t end up sharing the stuff your kids are watching to your Facebook friends.
For children, you can select an “under 12” option that only shows kid-friendly content for that profile. Just keep in mind that this isn’t really a form of parental controls. As Engadget points out, there’s currently no way to password-protect adult profiles, so kids can easily switch to their parents’ profiles and binge on Breaking Bad.
According to CNet, Netflix profiles will take a couple of weeks to reach all users. But if you can’t wait, it looks like you can set up profiles through this link and switch between them on the web, at least.
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Make Netflix Your Own With Profiles [Netflix.com]