In September, Netflix announced that it would be introducing a feature allowing viewers to skip intros to TV shows, ostensibly to help them get through even more episodes of a weekend-long binge session. Some thought this was an unusual move, seeing as Netflix had a hand in bringing back the intro with shows like Stranger Things, but the positives seemed to outweigh the negatives. The feature has been available on computers and mobile devices for some time, but now it has arrived for Chromcast users as well, according to Android Police.
There hasn’t been an official announcement of the feature, which makes sense, as it appears to be rolling out in stages. While the skip button is now available via the Android app, the iOS version of the Netflix app has yet to show the button. Whether it will begin to roll out soon, or if the iOS app will be updated in the future remains to be seen, but it’s almost certain that the same skip functionality present in the Android app will be available for Apple users at some point. The Chromecast still isn’t listed on Netflix’s Help Center page for the Skip Intro feature, so it’s possible that iOS will roll out before the feature is considered official.
With the addition of Skip Intro functionality, the Chromecast joins Android devices, iOS devices, Windows 10, the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One game consoles, and various smart TV brands in supporting the functionality. The Skip Intro feature is also available when viewing via the Netflix website. Unlike the commercial skip feature found in many DVRs, this isn’t just a button to skip forward by an arbitrary number of seconds. Instead, the idea is to skip the exact length of the intro or title sequence. While this should work flawlessly, Netflix says you can report if a title isn’t skipping to the proper place.
If you’re a Chromecast user and looking for a series to try out the new feature, be sure to take a look at our list of the best Netflix TV shows or our list of the best Netflix originals.
