Key Takeaways

  • Netflix launched a sleep timer test in 2021 that allowed you to set a timer for your viewing period on Android devices, but the feature is now deactivated.
  • The sleep timer feature stopped your stream and auto-play of TV show episodes after a selected time limit, potentially saving battery life.
  • The future of Netflix sleep timers is uncertain, but there might be a possibility of further testing and a wider release on different devices in the future. In the meantime, users can explore browser extensions or screen time controls for workarounds.

It's no longer something you can actually use but, back in 2021, Netflix launched a test that allowed you to set a sleep timer on its apps so that you could rely on your videos turning off after a certain amount of time.

Related: Netflix tips and tricks: How to master your binge-watching

While the feature is now deactivated and therefore not available, we don't know whether it might return at some point, so here are all the details you should know.

What were Netflix sleep timers?

At launch, the feature was limited to subscribers on Android devices. But, essentially, it allowed you to set a timer for your viewing period. You could choose between four timer settings: 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes, or the end of what you were watching. After the selected time limit ends, the Netflix for Android app would stop your stream to, theoretically, help spare the battery life on your mobile phone or tablet. This also stopped TV show episodes from continuing to auto-play.

Just imagine being able to prop up your Android phone, put on a Netflix show, and then pass out, without having to worry about finding where you last watched.

The Verge said Netflix's test was limited to "select users globally", but that Netflix will consider bringing the feature to other devices, including the Netflix app on TV sets and desktops. It just depends on how widely accepted and used the feature was by testers during the beta phase.

The feature is also limited to adult profiles right now.

How to use Netflix sleep timers

To use Netflix's timer feature (if it ever comes back), we'd expect it to use the same steps to activate as it did the first time - you can find these right here.

  1. Select and play a TV show or movie on your Android device.
  2. In the corner, you will see a clock icon labeled as Timer.
  3. Tap on Timer.
  4. Select 15, 30, 45 minutes, or Finish Show.

This would set you up to not have to turn off Netflix, so that you can lay back and stop worrying about battery altogether. Again, though, this feature isn't live right now, so we can't vouch for the steps above remaining accurate if it were to come back.

Will Netflix sleep timers come back?

As we mentioned above, Netflix removed this testing feature quite a while back and hasn't replaced it since, so for now it would seem that sleep timers are no longer a likelihood for all users.

However, you should never say never on this front - Netflix could well decide to give the feature some more testing down the line, and see if it can improve it to the point where it does merit a full release. That might also mean that it comes to more than just Android devices, too, which was quite a big limitation in its first iteration.

Still, if you're in need of sleep timers right now you might have to look into plugins and browser extensions, or screen time controls because as it stands you can't control things from within Netflix's apps.

Netflix on Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max Feb 2023
Pocket-lint

Are there workarounds in the meantime?If you do some searching online you'll find a smattering of extensions for browsers that claim to turn off your Netflix after a certain amount of time, but having checked a couple of them out, we wouldn't recommend you install them - they're pretty basic and even shady-looking.

Related: How to download Netflix movies and shows to your devices

Instead, this might simply be a situation where you have to wait and pray that the feature is added back officially.

Since most people do most of their Netflix viewing on either their phone, tablet or smart TV, it's not like browser extensions are even massively useful - it needs to be an app-level feature to be particularly useable after all.