Netflix’s Hidden Codes Unlock Thousands Of Secret Categories, And Let Me Teach You How To Use Them

Netflix is filled with a wide range of shows and movies to watch. You could scroll for hours and never actually land on something you want to see, especially when the algorithm keeps displaying the same handful of content it thinks you'll like. But what if there was a hidden way to improve your viewing experience?

That's where the secret codes come in. They unlock a secret version of Netflix, complete with thousands of movies and shows that you might never have found on the regular version.

The codes allow you to browse super-specific genres, not just the ones available in the main menu, and open up a whole new world of viewing options.

There are 36,000 Netflix category codes, with many of them dating back to the early days of the company. Adding the codes to the end of Netflix URLs will give you direct access to entire collections of movies and shows that fall under the category you've chosen.

In your browser, you would type netflix.com/browse/genre/ then add your code of choice. For instance, if you want to watch a comic book and superhero movie, use the code 10118 to find one. If you're in the mood for a shorter film, use the code 81466194 to look through the 90-Minute Movies category.

Luckily, you don't need to memorize every code for your favorite categories. Resources like Netflix-Codes.com have a whole list you can quickly refer to. But how did these codes come to be?

Back in the day, Netflix was renting out DVDs by mail. At the time, Netflix.com had what was called a "public-facing genre tree." It linked various types of shows and movies with their own specific codes.

A Netflix fan took the time to gather all the codes, compile a list, and share it online. To this day, people have been using those codes. Ever since then, thousands more have been added.

According to Michael Raphan, a curation strategist at Netflix, he was inspired by The Recruit, a spy adventure series with romantic subplots, starring Noah Centineo, to create a collection called Action with a Side of Romance (81647318).

Kaspars Grinvalds - stock.adobe.com - illustrative purposes only, not the actual person

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With Halloween coming up, you might find categories like Small Town Scares (81496215). And more romance categories tend to pop up near Valentine's Day.

An official directory doesn't exist, as the number of categories changes depending on the time of year or as movies and shows move on and off Netflix. Names of categories can often change as well, so you'll have to pay attention to that when you're searching for something to watch.

Using Netflix's secret codes helps you get the most out of your subscription by putting you in charge of what you watch. Say goodbye to endless scrolling and dive straight into what actually interests you!

You can get more info from Netflix on their secret codes here!