Netflix has added a new ‘screen lock’ button for its Android app to offset those unfortunate display touches that interrupt the viewing experience.
The new button is now prominent within the on-screen controls that appear during playback. Those viewers with the newest version of the Netflix for Android app can see the option beneath the playbar, to the left of the ‘Episode’ and ‘Audio & Subtitles’ options.
9to5Google reports that pressing the button will hide all of the usual on-screen options, including the play-pause buttons, whenever you tap the screen. All that’s left is a lock icon, and tapping that twice will bring back all of the usual options if you wish to pause the video, for example.
The feature will come in handy if, while gripping the device, you inadvertently tap the screen and bring up the annoying options that can disrupt playback. The option doesn’t appear to be available on iOS devices at present (we tested on an iPhone and iPad), but we’ve contacted Netflix and will update this article if a response is forthcoming.
Related: Netflix vs Disney Plus
Netflix is hoping to help viewers through the lockdown by uploading a wealth of free content to YouTube. A number of popular documentaries can be viewed on the Netflix YouTube channel. We’re not sure how long they’ll be around for, but at the moment non-subscribers will can watch for following documentaries:
- 13th
- Abstract
- Babies
- Chasing Coral
- Explained
- Knock Down The House
- Our Planet
- Period. End of Sentence.
- The White Helmets
- Zion
The headliner there is undoubtedly David Attenborough’s Our Planet, which comes from the creators of the beloved BBC Planet Earth series of documentaries. A special shoutout goes to Zion, the story of a wrestler born without any legs. Each of the documentaries are accompanied by educational resources, enabling youngsters to continue learning away from the classroom environment.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
