How to Disable Auto-Playing Previews on the New Netflix App

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The redesigned Netflix application has finally rolled out to Apple TV devices, and I was excited to see what changes had been made. Surely, the previous version couldn’t have been worse, right? Unfortunately, I was mistaken.

Netflix revealed its significant app overhaul in May, and now that it’s available on Apple TV 4K (along with other platforms), the adjustments are quite surprising. For instance, the main menu options have been shifted from the left side to the top of the screen, ostensibly to enhance navigation—though some might disagree. Just as a point of comparison, HBO Max recently did the opposite, moving its menu from the top to the left, keeping things unpredictable.

One aspect that remains frustrating is what hasn’t changed. The app still lacks a “More Like This” section for discovering related shows and movies, a feature available on the iOS version of Netflix. Additionally, genre filtering is still missing; instead, users must scroll through curated rows of titles like “Witty Sitcoms” or “TV Dramadies,” which isn’t very efficient. Here are some improved methods to find quality content on Netflix.

The most irksome update is the autoplaying previews. Hovering over a thumbnail instantly triggers a video preview with sound—an intrusive feature I really dislike. Unfortunately, there is no direct setting in the Apple TV Netflix app to disable this, but a workaround exists through the Netflix website.

To disable autoplay previews:

Visit Netflix on a web browser, click your profile icon at the top right, and select Account.
Scroll down and choose Edit Settings, then click Playback Settings.
Under the Autoplay controls section, uncheck “Autoplay preview while browsing on all devices.”
Save your changes.

Once you’ve adjusted this setting, reopen Netflix on Apple TV, and the auto-playing videos should no longer bother you. If not, close the app (double-press the Apple TV button and swipe up on the navigation pad) and relaunch it. Ah, quiet browsing—what a relief.