Streaming platforms and smart TVs often use suggestions and recommendations to keep viewers engaged longer. These suggestions can feel addictive because they are designed to show content tailored to your preferences, encouraging continuous watching. To turn off or reduce these streaming suggestions that keep you hooked, you need to adjust settings on your device and within the streaming apps themselves.
First, on smart TVs, many models collect viewing data to personalize recommendations. You can usually disable this data collection by going into the TV’s settings menu. For example, on LG smart TVs, you can turn off the Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) feature by navigating to Settings, then Preferences, and finally Privacy Settings. Here, you can disable options like Device Usage Data, Collect App and Over-the-Air Usage, and Interest-Based Ads. Disabling these stops the TV from tracking your viewing habits and reduces personalized suggestions[1].
Similarly, on Google TVs, you can go to Settings, then Privacy, and Ads. There you can reset or delete your advertising ID and turn off personalized ads. This reduces targeted recommendations based on your activity. Roku devices also offer a Privacy Choices screen where you can opt out of interest-based ads, which limits personalized content suggestions, though generic ads will still appear[1].
Within streaming apps themselves, many have settings to control recommendations or autoplay features. Turning off autoplay is a key step because autoplay automatically starts the next episode or suggested video, making it easier to keep watching without a break. Look for autoplay toggles in the app’s playback or general settings and disable them.
Another way to reduce suggestions is to clear your watch history or viewing data within the app. Streaming services use your watch history to recommend similar shows or movies. By deleting this history, you can reset the algorithm’s understanding of your preferences, which may reduce the number of suggestions tailored to your past viewing.
Using ad blockers or pop-up blockers can also help if you are watching on a web browser. Extensions like AdBlock Plus or uBlock Origin can block annoying pop-ups and ads that sometimes promote additional content or subscriptions, which can contribute to the feeling of being hooked[2].
If you want to go further, consider limiting the permissions you give to streaming apps on your devices. Some apps request access to data that helps them personalize content. Restricting these permissions in your device’s privacy settings can reduce the amount of data collected and thus the personalization of suggestions.
Finally, managing your overall digital habits can help. Setting specific viewing times, using timers or reminders, and consciously choosing what to watch rather than relying on suggestions can reduce the pull of endless streaming recommendations.
In summary, turning off streaming suggestions involves disabling data collection and personalized ads on your smart TV or streaming device, turning off autoplay features in apps, clearing watch history, using ad blockers on browsers, and managing app permissions. These steps reduce the algorithms’ ability to keep you hooked by limiting the personalized content they can offer[1][2].
