Netflix is now giving its subscribers the ability to send private recommendations to friends.
The new feature improves on Netflix previous methods for recommending shows, which is basically just sharing everything to everyone on your Facebook friends list. The new tool lets Netflix subscribers with Facebook accounts to privately recommend shows to friends, thereby doing away with the need to inform everyone of your affinity for trashy reality TV shows.
"Starting today, we're launching our new social recommendation feature that allows you to easily, and privately, recommend the shows you love to the people you care about," product innovation director Cameron Johnson wrote in a blog post. "You know that feeling when you've watched something really great, something that moves you or makes you laugh, and you immediately think of someone else who would love it too? It's the feeling of wanting your friends and family to enjoy the show just as much as you did."
The feature, which is now available on Netflix website as well as on iPads, iPhones, Xbox, PS3, smart TVs and set-top boxes, kicks in once you've finished watching a show. Netflix will display a page with the photos of your Facebook friends, giving you the option to share what you've just watched to friends and family member who you think might be interested.
After you've picked the targets for your suggestions, you can send an optional message with the show you've shared. The people tagged in your suggestions would get a notification about your good deed the next time they log on to the Netflix service. Your friends can then reply to your recommendation. If you need gratification for your suggestions, Netflix can provide that too, since you can choose to receive a notification once your friends watch or add the show you recommended to their list.
If you're not too keen on receiving recommendations, know that there's no escape. Your friends can send you suggestions even if you don't bother to link your Facebook and Netflix accounts. Instead of a notification on Netflix, the suggestion would be sent as a private message on Facebook Messenger.
Unlike the previous method of making Netflix recommendations, the new feature will not post your suggestion to Facebook. Your recommendation would also not show up on the News Feed of your friends, which is great if you want to keep your love of shows about hoarders under wraps.
