4 simple Netflix settings that instantly improved my streaming experience

You open Netflix to enjoy some streaming, pick something, and press play. But how often do people actually dig through all of the various settings that Netflix has to offer? If you haven't, it means you're using the default experience, whether it works well for you or not.

I made four small changes that noticeably improved how Netflix looks and sounds, but most importantly, how I engaged with Netflix. The picture quality is now much better, and a few quiet frustrations I didn't realize were adding up are now gone.

The best part is that all of these adjustments take less than five minutes in total.

I turned on Smart Downloads

Offline viewing stopped being so much work

I travel abroad multiple times a year, which means long flights and airport layovers. I used to download a few episodes before every trip manually, only to discover at 35,000 feet that I had forgotten the next one or that my storage was clogged with shows I had already finished. It was a minor hassle, but it happened often enough to be annoying.

Turning on Smart Downloads fixed that. When you finish an episode, Netflix automatically deletes it and downloads the next one in the series. There's also an option called Downloads for You, which saves recommended titles to your device based on what you watch. You don't have to manage every episode yourself once it's enabled.

To turn it on, open the Netflix app and then tap My Netflix >The three-line hamburger menu >App Settings >Smart Downloads.

I customized subtitles to make them actually readable

I almost always enable subtitles

Netflix's default subtitles don't work for everyone. The font, size, color, and background all affect how easy they are to read. I live in Japan and use subtitles all the time, but even if you watch a lot of foreign language shows or content with quiet dialogue, subtitles are a major part of the viewing experience.

Larger text reduces eye strain. A darker background improves contrast. Adjusting color and font makes dialogue easier to track without constant squinting or rewinding.

To customize the streaming app's subtitles, open Netflix and then click Manage Profiles >Select Your Profile >Subtitle Appearance.

I forced Netflix to stream in the highest quality

This one seems like an obvious adjustment

Netflix doesn't automatically give you the best video quality that your plan allows. If your playback quality is set to Auto, the service adjusts the quality based on perceived network connections. That often means lower-bitrate streams, even when your connection can handle higher ones. If you're paying for a plan to support 1080p or 4K, you should make sure you're actually getting it.

Switching the setting to High locks in the maximum quality available for your plan. The difference is easy to see on a good TV. Details are sharper, compression artifacts are reduced, and dark scenes hold up better.

To change it, open Netflix, click Manage Profiles, select your profile, then click Playback settings. Under the Data usage per screen, select High. This setting gives you the best video and audio quality, as stated on the settings page: up to 3GB each hour for HD and 7GB each hour for Ultra HD.

Just keep in mind that you'll need a fast enough internet connection, and 4K requires the Premium plan and, of course, hardware that actually supports it. If you have both, there's no reason to leave it on Auto.

I turned on Audio Descriptions, and it changed how I use Netflix

Multitasking just reached a whole new level

Audio Descriptions add a narrated track that explains what is happening on screen between lines of dialogue. The feature exists for accessibility reasons, but it's useful well beyond that. It fills in visual details that you would otherwise miss if you're not watching closely.

I started using it out of curiosity and ended up keeping it on more than I expected. Now I can cook, clean, answer messages, or do whatever around the house while still following a movie. If someone walks into a room, if I glance away, or if a scene is visually dense, I don't lose the thread. The narration explains key actions, expressions, and scene changes. Is it always accurate? I don't know, I wasn't watching, but it's worked well enough for me so far.

To turn on this feature, you'll need to start playing a show first to see if it's supported. Open the Audio and Subtitles menu, and look for Audio Description next to the language. So, for example, you might see English — Audio Description in the list. Other languages are supported, too.

A few small changes that add up

All of these features are built directly into Netflix and are available to every user, depending on your plan. Together, these four adjustments made my Netflix experience way more enjoyable. If you only change four Netflix settings, make it these.