Does it feel like Netflix used to know you, but now your home screen is full of random shows you’d never watch? You’re not alone. Over time, shared profiles, autoplay, and old viewing history can confuse the algorithm. The good news: you can reset your Netflix algorithm, clean up your history, and fix bad Netflix suggestions so your recommendations feel fresh again.

In this guide, we’ll cover five practical ways to improve Netflix recommendations, from hiding junk viewing history to rating shows with thumbs-up and thumbs-down. Do these steps once, and Netflix will relearn your real taste.

1. How do I hide unwanted shows from my Netflix viewing history?

Sometimes your recommendations go wrong because someone else used your profile—or maybe you regret binging a random reality show at 2am. Luckily, Netflix lets you hide titles from your history so they don’t influence your recommendations.

1. Go to Netflix.com in a browser (not the app).
2. Click your profile icon → Account → Viewing Activity.
3. Find the show or movie you want to hide and click Hide from Viewing History.

Bonus: When you hide an episode, Netflix asks if you want to hide the whole series—choose yes if you never want it messing with your recommendations again.

2. How can I stop Netflix recommendations from being ruined by other people?

Sharing a profile is a recipe for algorithm chaos. If one person watches Downton Abbey and another watches SWAT, Netflix tries to find middle ground—and your suggestions become nonsense.

The fix: give everyone their own profile.

• You can have up to five profiles per account.
• Add a PIN lock so kids, roommates, or freeloaders can’t wander into your carefully tuned profile.
• After creating new profiles, go back to step 1 and clean up your viewing history.

This way, your recommendations stay true to your taste.

3. How do I remove freeloaders or unknown devices from my Netflix account?

When scrolling through viewing history, do you see shows you don’t recognize? It might be a forgotten TV at an Airbnb, an old roommate, or even your ex still signed in. That’s enough to throw off your recommendations.

Here’s how to kick them off:

1. Go to Account → Manage Access and Devices.
2. Look for devices you don’t recognize.
3. Sign them out individually—or hit Sign out of all devices for a full reset.
4. Change your password before signing back in on your own devices.

After this, go back to Viewing Activity and hide any shows they polluted your list with.

4. How do I improve Netflix recommendations by rating shows with thumbs up or down?

Netflix recommendations improve dramatically when you give feedback. Most people skip the thumbs, but they’re your best tool to “teach” the algorithm what you like.

• Go to Account → Viewing Activity → Ratings.
• Review the shows you’ve rated thumbs-up or thumbs-down. Remove or adjust any that don’t reflect your taste.
• After watching something, don’t ignore the thumbs. Even better: give a double thumbs-up to shows you love.

Investing a few minutes here pays off with smarter, more accurate suggestions.

5. How can I stop Netflix autoplay from messing up my recommendations?

Autoplay can generate false signals—like when previews start playing or the next episode rolls automatically. Netflix might think you’re interested, even if you’re not.

To fix this:

1. Go to Account → Profiles → Playback settings.
2. Uncheck Autoplay previews and Autoplay next episode.
3. Watch only what you choose while retraining your recommendations.

You can always re-enable autoplay later, once Netflix has learned your real preferences again.

How to Reset Netflix Recommendations the Right Way

To reset your Netflix algorithm, you need to:

• Clean up your viewing history.
• Separate profiles and lock them down.
• Boot out freeloaders and unknown devices.
• Rate shows decisively with thumbs-up/down.
• Turn off autoplay while retraining the algorithm.

Do this once, and your Netflix home screen will feel like yours again—showing you the movies and series you actually want to watch.