You're halfway through a massive Stranger Things binge. Your hands are covered in popcorn grease. You've finally found the perfect, ergonomic position on the couch where your neck doesn't hurt. Then, the episode ends. A new one starts. And there it is—that looming "Skip Intro" button mocking you from the bottom corner of the screen. You have to move. You have to reach for the remote. It's a small tragedy, honestly.
We’ve all been there.
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Netflix knows we want to skip. That’s why they built the manual button back in 2017. But for some reason, they’ve never officially given us a "Netflix auto skip intro" toggle in the actual settings menu. It feels like a massive oversight for a company that practically invented binge-watching. Why do we still have to click a button every 45 minutes like it's 2012?
If you're looking for a hidden setting in the Netflix app on your LG TV or Roku to fix this, I have some bad news: it doesn't exist. Not natively, anyway. But if you’re watching on a computer or using a few specific workarounds, you can actually automate the whole process and never look at a title sequence again.
Why Netflix Won't Give Us a Native Toggle
It seems simple. Just add a checkbox in the "Playback Settings" right next to the "Auto-play next episode" option. Boom. Done. But Netflix is notoriously data-driven, and their internal metrics on the "Skip Intro" button are actually a point of pride for their engineering team.
In a 2022 blog post, Netflix engineers revealed that the "Skip Intro" button is pressed 136 million times a day on average. That is a staggering amount of human interaction. From a product design standpoint, that button provides a "micro-moment" of engagement. It keeps you active. It makes you feel like you're in control of your viewing experience.
There's also the creative side of the coin. Showrunners and composers spend months—sometimes years—perfecting those opening credits. Think about the iconic Succession theme or the intricate clockwork of Game of Thrones. Creators want you to see their names. While Netflix prioritizes the viewer's desire to get to the story, they also have to maintain relationships with Hollywood talent who might not love the idea of their work being systematically deleted by a permanent "always skip" algorithm.
So, we’re left in this weird middle ground. Netflix gives us the option to skip, but forces us to choose it every single time. It's a compromise.
How to Get Netflix Auto Skip Intro on Chrome and Edge
If you do most of your watching on a laptop or a desktop, you're in luck. This is the only place where you can truly "set it and forget it." Because Netflix runs in a browser, developers have written small pieces of code—extensions—that "watch" the screen for you.
The most reliable way to handle this is through the Netflix Extended or Auto Skip Intro extensions available on the Chrome Web Store.
Here is how the logic works: the extension scans the HTML of the Netflix player. The moment the "Skip Intro" button element appears in the code, the extension triggers a virtual "click." It happens so fast—usually in less than 250 milliseconds—that you barely even see the button flash on the screen.
It's basically magic.
But wait. There are a few things to watch out for. These extensions are third-party. They aren't made by Netflix. If Netflix updates its website layout—which it does frequently—these extensions might break for a day or two until the developer updates the script.
- Netflix Extended: This is the powerhouse. It doesn't just skip intros; it can skip those "Recap" segments at the start of episodes, and it can even hide the "Are you still watching?" prompt that pops up after eight hours of inactivity.
- Auto Skip: This is for the minimalists. It does one thing. It clicks the skip button. It’s lightweight and won't slow down your browser.
The Struggle on Smart TVs and Consoles
This is where things get frustrating. If you’re watching on a Samsung TV, an Apple TV, or a PlayStation 5, you can't install Chrome extensions. You are stuck in the "walled garden" of the Netflix app.
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Is there a way to automate Netflix auto skip intro on a TV?
Technically, yes, but it’s a bit "hacky." Some users have found success using universal remotes like the Logitech Harmony (though those are becoming harder to find) or smart home hubs like Home Assistant. By using an infrared (IR) blaster, you can theoretically program a sequence that detects the start of an episode and sends a "Select" command after a set number of seconds.
Honestly, though? It’s a lot of work. Most people find it easier to just keep the remote nearby.
However, there is a "soft" auto-skip that many people don't realize exists. If you are watching a series where the intro happens at the exact same timecode every episode, Netflix sometimes groups these. If you skip the intro once, and the next episode starts immediately after, the "Skip Intro" button will occasionally be pre-selected, meaning you just have to hit 'Enter' or 'OK' rather than navigating to the button. It's not full automation, but it saves a thumb-swipe.
The "Next Episode" Problem
Skipping the intro is only half the battle. The other half is that annoying 10-second countdown between episodes.
While we wait for a native Netflix auto skip intro feature, you can at least control the auto-play functionality. If you go into your Account Settings on a web browser and navigate to Profile & Parental Controls, you can toggle "Autoplay next episode in a series on all devices."
If you turn this off, Netflix will stop at the end of the credits. If you leave it on, it will jump to the next episode, but usually, it won't skip the intro of that next episode automatically.
It’s a weirdly inconsistent experience.
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Hidden Features You Might Not Know
While we're talking about optimizing the Netflix experience, there are a few other keyboard shortcuts and tricks that make the lack of an auto-skip button less painful.
If you're on a computer:
- S: This is the hotkey for "Skip Intro." You don't have to use your mouse to find the button. Just tap 'S' when it appears.
- F: Fullscreen.
- M: Mute.
- Spacebar: Play/Pause.
Using the 'S' key is a game changer. It makes the "Netflix auto skip intro" process feel much more seamless, even if it's not fully automated. You don't have to hunt for the cursor. You just keep your left hand near the keyboard and tap.
Is Using Third-Party Tools Safe?
I get asked this a lot. "Will Netflix ban me for using an auto-skip extension?"
The short answer is no.
Netflix doesn't really care if you skip the intro. They put the button there because they want you to use it. Using an extension to click that button for you isn't violating their Terms of Service in a way that triggers account bans. You aren't "stealing" content or bypassing regional blocks (like a VPN might). You're just automating a UI interaction.
The real risk is privacy. When you install a browser extension, it often asks for permission to "Read and change your data on netflix.com." This is necessary for the extension to see the "Skip Intro" button, but you should only use well-reviewed extensions with thousands of users to ensure you aren't installing malware.
What's Next for the Skip Button?
There are rumors that Netflix is experimenting with different "Binge Modes."
In some test markets, Netflix has trialed a version of the player that detects if you've watched three or more episodes of the same show in one sitting. When it detects a binge, it starts automatically shortening the intros or skipping them entirely without user input.
This would be the dream.
Until that rolls out globally, we are stuck with the tools we have. If you're a power user, move your streaming to a PC or Mac and get a Chrome extension. If you're a TV viewer, memorize the location of the 'OK' button on your remote so you can hit it without looking.
Actionable Steps to Streamline Your Binge
If you're tired of the manual labor, here is exactly what you should do right now to optimize your setup:
- For Desktop Users: Go to the Chrome Web Store and search for "Netflix Extended." Install it, go into the settings, and check the box that says "Auto-skip intros." While you're there, check "Auto-skip recaps" too.
- For TV Users: Make sure "Autoplay next episode" is turned ON in your Netflix account settings. This ensures the next episode starts without you having to touch the remote, even if you still have to manually skip the intro once it begins.
- Learn the "S" Key: If you watch on a laptop, stop using the trackpad. The 'S' key is your best friend.
- Check Your Profile Settings: Sometimes Netflix "forgets" your preferences if you have multiple profiles. Ensure these settings are applied to the specific profile you use most often.
The goal is to get as close to a "zero-touch" experience as possible. We spend enough time searching for what to watch; we shouldn't have to work once the show finally starts. Netflix might eventually give us a native toggle, but until then, these workarounds are the best we've got. Keep your extensions updated, keep your 'S' finger ready, and get back to your show.