Hulu is beginning to roll out Netflix-style individual user profiles

By Kris Wouk December 8, 2016

a e networks hulu live tv streaming service ad free — Image used with permission by copyright holder

If more than one person watches TV shows and movies on your Hulu account, chances are good that you’ve found yourself getting recommendations that don’t exactly apply to you. Netflix and a few other services have solved this problem by offering support for multiple profiles, and now Hulu is beginning to follow suit.

“TV is very personal and we know people share their Hulu with spouses, kids, and family members,” Hulu’s Richard Irving wrote in a post on the company’s blog on Thursday. “Inevitably, you may not be as enthusiastic about Sci-Fi as your spouse. And it is likely that new episodes of Doc McStuffins are not quite as exciting for you as they are for your children. The next step in creating the most personal TV experience is introducing profiles.”

A single Hulu account can have up to six unique profiles. In addition to recommendations, each profile has its own viewing history, information, and Watchlist, and even includes a personalized home page.

hulu-user-profiles — Image used with permission by copyright holder

When first setting up a new profile, the viewer will be presented with a brief quiz. This allows the viewer to customize the recommendations they’ll be getting by telling the service which types of TV shows and movies they prefer. Once they start watching, the same recommendation engine Hulu has been using until now will further tailor the profile to them.

Similar to Netflix, this new profiles feature includes a special kids-only option, which Hulu calls the Kids Hub. This allows younger viewers to freely browse through shows and movies without the potential for running into mature content or other unsuitable programming.

For the time being, only users viewing Hulu on the web will be able to try out the new profiles feature. Hulu says that it will begin to roll out profiles on “the most popular Hulu devices” over the course of the next few weeks.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Kris Wouk is a tech writer, gadget reviewer, blogger, and whatever it's called when someone makes videos for the web. In his…

Audio / Video

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are on sale for $170

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro and their charging case.

If you're on the hunt for true wireless earbuds deals, here's an offer that you should consider -- the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro for only $170, following a $60 discount from Samsung on their original price of $230. We're not sure how much time is remaining before they return to their regular price, so you need to make a quick decision on whether to buy these wireless earbuds. If you want them, proceed with the purchase as soon as you can as the offer may end at any moment.

Why you should buy the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro
The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro offer studio-quality sound while maintaining a comfortable design, so you'll be able to keep listening to your favorite playlists or watch several episodes of streaming shows over up to 8 hours of battery life and up to 30 hours including their charging case. The wireless earbuds easily pair with Samsung Galaxy devices, but they also work great if you're using an iPhone. If you ever lose them, SmartThings Find will help you locate them, and they come with IPX7 resistance against water, which means they can withstand immersion in up to 3 feet of water for 30 minutes.

Entertainment

Disney Plus Free Trial: Can you stream for free in 2024?

Disney+ app on the iPad Air 5.

There is currently no Disney Plus free trial. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. In fact, there hasn't been a Disney Plus free trial for many years. But all is not lost. While you can't get Disney Plus for free, there are quite a few very cheap options. We list all of the tiers and options below: Everything from the $8 ad-supported tier to the $25 Disney Bundle Trio, which includes ad-free Disney Plus, ad-free Hulu and ESPN+. Occasionally Disney has a deal that gets you three months for $6 total, but that's not available right now. We'll keep you updated if it ever comes back.

The best and most reliable way to save is through the Disney Bundle, which sees ESPN Plus and Hulu thrown in for just $15 a month. On their own, Disney Plus is normally $8 per month, Hulu is $8, and ESPN is $10, so this is a great deal. If it sounds good to you, you should start your subscription now. The price of the Disney Bundle increased to $15 on October 12, 2023.

Audio / Video

Best TV deals: LG, Sony, Samsung, TCL, and more

Vizio OLED TV

No home theater is complete without a great TV at its center, and even if prefer to watch the best new movies to stream on Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, Max, and more in a more casual viewing environment the right TV can make it more enjoyable. If you’re shopping the best TVs you’re likely to run into some high price points, which is why we’ve put together all of the best TV deals you can shop right now. Below you’ll find some impressive savings from top TV brands like Sony TV deals, Samsung TV deals, LG TV deals, TCL TV deals, and more. We didn't discriminate amongst retailers for this list, so you'll find Best Buy TV deals, Amazon TV deals and Walmart TV deals, as well as deals from individual retailers.
Insignia 50-inch F30 LED 4K Smart TV — $220, was $300

Insignia's low cost TV just got even cheaper. It's got the standard LED display that you're probably used to if you last bought a TV some years ago, but also has a 4K resolution, smart capabilities, and a large 50-inch screen. In other words, this is a fantastic way to upgrade or replace your aging TV for about the same cost (or less) than you paid for it. If you're wanting a TV, but don't want to pay too much, this is a no-brainer.