How to get rid of continue watching on netflix without losing your mind

Netflix knows you. It knows you watched three episodes of that baking show at 2 AM on a Tuesday. It also knows you started that weird documentary about fungi but turned it off after five minutes because it was too gross. The problem? That documentary is now stuck. It’s sitting right there on your home screen, judging you, taking up space in your "Continue Watching" row. Honestly, it’s annoying. We all want a clean interface, but Netflix makes you dig through menus to find the digital broom.

Getting a handle on your viewing history isn't just about being a neat freak. It’s about privacy. Maybe you shared your password with a cousin (before the crackdown, anyway) and you don’t want them seeing your reality TV obsession. Or maybe you just want your recommendations to actually reflect what you like now, not what you liked three years ago. Whatever the reason, learning how to get rid of continue watching on netflix is a skill every binge-watcher needs.

The quick fix that actually works

Most people think you have to go into deep account settings on a desktop browser to change anything. You don't. Netflix actually added a direct "Remove from Continue Watching" button to most of their mobile and TV apps a while back. It was a quiet update, but a lifesaver.

If you’re on your phone, just tap the three dots (the vertical ellipsis) on the title you want to kill. A menu pops up. At the bottom, you’ll see "Remove from Continue Watching." Tap it. Confirm it. Boom. Gone. It feels productive, doesn't it? On a smart TV or a Roku, you usually have to click on the show or movie first. Instead of hitting play, scroll down the options. You’ll find the remove button tucked away there.

But sometimes, this doesn't stick. You remove it, and then two days later, it’s back like a bad penny. Why? Sync issues. If you have a spotty internet connection or if you’re using an older version of the app, the "remove" command might not reach the Netflix motherbrain in the cloud. Always make sure your app is updated to the latest version before you start cleaning house.

Deep cleaning your viewing activity

Sometimes the "remove" button feels like a Band-Aid. If you want to scrub a show from your history so thoroughly that the Netflix algorithm forgets you ever met, you have to go deeper. You have to visit the Viewing Activity page.

This is the nuclear option.

Log into Netflix on a web browser. Head to your Account page. Scroll down to the "Profile & Parental Controls" section and click on your profile. Find "Viewing Activity" and click "View." This is a chronological list of every single thing you have ever watched on that profile. It’s a bit of a trip down memory lane, and sometimes it's a bit embarrassing.

Next to each episode or movie, there’s a little "hide" icon—it looks like a circle with a line through it. Click it. If it’s a TV show, Netflix will ask if you want to hide the whole series. Say yes.

Why the 24-hour rule matters

Don't expect instant results here. Netflix officially states that it can take up to 24 hours for a title removed from your viewing activity to disappear from all your devices. Usually, it happens faster. But if you're trying to hide a "guilty pleasure" movie before your partner gets home, you might be cutting it close.

Also, once you hide something from your viewing activity, it’s gone from your recommendations too. Netflix will stop suggesting "Shows Like This" because, as far as the algorithm is concerned, you never watched it. This is the most effective way to reset your "For You" page if it's become cluttered with stuff you no longer care about.

Profiles are your best friend

If you share an account, the "Continue Watching" row can become a chaotic mess of children's cartoons, gritty crime dramas, and stand-up specials. It’s a headache. The simplest way to keep your "Continue Watching" row clean is to enforce strict profile boundaries.

Netflix allows up to five profiles. Use them.

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Create a "Guest" profile for when friends come over. This prevents their random movie choices from polluting your carefully curated list. If you have kids, make sure they are using a Kids profile. Netflix’s kids' interface is different—it’s designed to be stickier and harder to "clean," but it keeps the "Paw Patrol" out of your main feed.

The problem with the "Just Let It Finish" method

We’ve all done it. You have 10 minutes left of a movie, you get bored, and you turn it off. That movie will sit in your "Continue Watching" for months. Some people try to "fix" this by fast-forwarding to the very end of the credits to trick Netflix into thinking they finished it.

Does it work? Sorta.

The problem is that if you don't hit the exact right spot at the end, Netflix might think you want to "Watch Again" or it might just park the movie at the 99% mark. It’s much more reliable to use the "Remove from Continue Watching" button we talked about earlier. Fast-forwarding is a gamble. Plus, if it’s a TV show, finishing one episode often just triggers the next one to appear in the row. You end up playing a game of digital whack-a-mole.

Dealing with the algorithm's memory

Netflix's algorithm is surprisingly stubborn. Even after you learn how to get rid of continue watching on netflix, you might notice that the "Top Picks" or "Because You Watched" sections still feel "off." This is because "hiding" a show isn't the same as "disliking" it.

If you hated a show, don't just remove it from your row. Give it a "Thumbs Down." This sends a much stronger signal to the backend. It tells Netflix: "Not only do I want this off my screen, I want you to stop showing me things like this."

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The "Reset" trick

If your entire Netflix experience feels stale, some experts suggest creating a brand new profile and deleting the old one. It’s the ultimate fresh start. You lose your "My List" and your history, but you get a clean slate. For some, the peace of mind of a clean "Continue Watching" row is worth the sacrifice of a few saved titles.

Device-specific quirks

Not every device handles Netflix the same way.

• Apple TV: Sometimes the "top shelf" (the row of icons at the very top of the Apple TV home screen) will show Netflix content even if you've cleared your row in the app. This is a caching issue. Restarting the Apple TV usually clears it.
• Web Browsers: If you use Chrome or Firefox, sometimes browser extensions meant to "enhance" Netflix can interfere with the removal process. If things aren't disappearing, try disabling your extensions.
• Smart TVs (Samsung/LG): These apps are notorious for being slow. If you remove a show on your phone, it might take a full power cycle of the TV for the change to reflect on the big screen.

Managing "My List" vs "Continue Watching"

It’s easy to confuse the two. "My List" is your bookshelf—stuff you want to watch. "Continue Watching" is your coffee table—stuff you’ve already started. If you find yourself overwhelmed, check both. Often, people have titles in their "Continue Watching" row simply because they accidentally clicked "Play" while trying to add it to "My List."

The easiest way to prevent "Continue Watching" bloat is to be intentional. Don't just click on things to see the trailer. Use the "More Info" button. Netflix has gotten better about auto-playing trailers, but if you actually enter the "playback" mode, you’ve triggered the "Continue Watching" tracker.

Next Steps for a Cleaner Feed

1. Audit your mobile app: Open Netflix on your phone right now. Scroll through your "Continue Watching" row and use the three-dot menu to remove anything you haven't touched in over a month.
2. Web scrub: Log into your account on a laptop this weekend. Go to "Viewing Activity" and hide those one-off movies or series you finished years ago. It will refresh your "Recommended" algorithm instantly.
3. Check your thumbs: Go through your "My List" and give a "Thumbs Up" or "Thumbs Down" to at least five things. This helps the algorithm prioritize what you actually want to see over the "Continue Watching" clutter.
4. Update your apps: Ensure your smart TV and mobile apps are running the latest version to ensure the "Remove" feature works as intended without sync errors.