The code 8985 belongs to the genre of martial arts; 5480, to Bollywood fictions; 43048, to unknown thrillers… These are the numbers under which Netflix’s ‘secret file’ is hidden. A group of geeks (a term used to refer to a person fascinated by technology and computing) and experts in digital platforms have found the key that opens the hidden box of the entertainment giant.
What they have discovered is an alternative catalog to the official one made up of more than 200 subcategories with thousands of titles, which can be accessed from the desktop by performing specific searches. With a simple gesture, typing the code for each category in the platform’s search magnifying glass, users can access hidden treasures ranging from films in the genre known as ‘niche horror’, to ‘irreverent TV comedies’ , up to ’90 minute movies’.
Tired of what Netflix offers? This hidden library with thousands of movies and series opens the door to search for what the viewer wants, not what the algorithm offers.
According to Netflix, forced to confirm the finding, movie or series recommendations on the home page are made based on “factors that include viewing history, the time of day the content is viewed, and whether a user has qualified a particular title”. But Netflix also uses a series of codes to classify particular genres and sub-genres, which users can access in the form of hidden menus. They are not banned, simply Netflix has never officially given the option to access them until the geeks have worked their magic.
Amongst the movies and TV series is a treasure trove of secret category codes: a list dating back to the company’s early days and numbering over 36,000 titles. A “gift,” Netflix claims now that it’s been discovered, for fans who know “exactly” what they want to watch or who want to try something completely new.
There are two ways to access this secret collection: first, from any computer by typing ‘ netflix.com/browse/genre /’ in the browser and adding a unique identification code. The second, through the television, typing that same code in the search field. Neither of the two works at the moment on tablets and mobiles.
According to Mary Bertone of the Netflix editorial team, these codes date back to the days when the platform was still in its DVD-only phase. At the time, Netflix.com had a public-facing genre tree that linked to all types of movies and series, each of which had its own specific ID code. But when Netflix was transformed, that catalog disappeared.
Those titles never disappeared. The platform removed them from subscribers’ view, but not from Netflix’s software. A fan searched the genre tree for all the codes, shared the list online, and a small group of insiders have been using those codes (along with the thousands more that have been added since) to this day, until it’s been released. shared for everyone.
Really, this ‘secret file’ never stops growing. According to Michael Raphan, the company’s strategist, when the series The Recruit premiered last January, a new code was automatically generated, 81647318, dedicated to action and romance. In the early days of the Covid pandemic, codes were also created to house all films and series on human relations under the heading Human Connections (code 81271205) in order to help people feel better.
Due to copyright laws, distribution rights, and licenses, Netflix libraries differ significantly by geographic region. This is another of the benefits of this ‘secret file’: if these codes are combined with a VPN to avoid geographic restrictions online, you can access not only that hidden library but also content ‘hidden’ by the geographical position of the subscribers.
Included in the secret menu is a detailed classification of their vast catalog with labels that were unthinkable, but have at some point generated interest: Satanic Stories, K-Drama for Beginners and More, Family Movie Night, Reluctant Adults, Conspirators, and Con Men. .
In principle, the discovery of this ghost catalog should not pose any problem for Netflix, since it contains content that the platform has already offered. However, uncovering these codes and opening a catalog of such dimensions comes at a time when the company tries to stop the exchange of accounts. A phenomenon that, according to Netflix, affects more than 100 million viewers.
Under the new rules, people who watch Netflix using someone else’s account must create their own logins and pay for their own access, but at least now the user will choose what they want and not what they offer.
According to the criteria of The Trust Project
