How to access and delete your Disney plus viewing history
Walt Disney Company has managed to establish itself as a key player in the Netflix mode streaming service ecosystem as it just launched in November 2019. With an enormous library, including titles from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic, Disney+ caters to an audience of all ages: children to adults. But, with all the growth and popularity in the world, one glaring omission from the user interface is a dedicated viewing history feature. This article examines the implications of this limitation, discusses alternatives for watch list management, and considers possible future directions of viewing history functionality on Disney Plus.
Missing Viewing History Feature
Unlike many of its competitors, such as Netflix and Hulu, Disney Plus does not grant the user access to their entire view history. That is to say, subscribers cannot easily access a list of titles they have watched. Instead, there is a “Continue Watching” section that lists titles users have started but haven’t completed. This feature, while convenient for viewers to easily resume where they left off, lacks the completeness of recording their viewing history. For some users, this lack of viewing history may be frustrating when trying to go back and re-watch previously viewed titles or track their viewing trends over time.
For example, without this feature, it is not easily possible for users to remember when they last watched any particular movie or series. This is especially at play in the case of fans who like to discuss films or shows that they have watched with friends or on social media platforms; any added detail about when they watched it can enhance conversations. Moreover, users do not have a viewing history and, therefore, are unable to remove titles from their watch history or moderate recommendations based on previously watched content. This completely juxtaposes the idea that other platforms allow the choice to be left in the hands of the consumer, enabling them to take responsibility in actively managing their viewing experience. Inability to control the things that appear on their watch histories could make these personalized viewers frustrated and unhappy if keen at personalized streaming.
Watchlist and Continue Watching
There are actually two main features which are supposedly used in managing content; there is the “Continue Watching” list and the “Watchlist.”
- Continue Watching
The “Continue Watching” section will help in easily picking up where you left off on a particular show or movie that is not yet finished. Titles in this section automatically go away after they have been watched. There are two ways to get rid of a title on this list without having to watch it: fast-forwarding to the end and making a new profile. This workaround is quite awkward and it doesn’t really give them the instant gratification they want from handling their content. - Watchlist
Unlike that, “Watchlist” allows users to manually curate content they intend to consume in the near future. By adding titles to this list, users can keep track of shows and movies they are interested in without cluttering their “Continue Watching” section. To add a title to the Watchlist, users simply click the plus (+) button next to a title on the platform. These features do provide some way of managing content, but they also do not replace the accessible view history that most users would want. This will be enough for the casual viewer who doesn’t mind losing track of what they have viewed, but more serious viewers are bound to get frustrated with such limitations.
User Feedback and Demand for Change
Lack of viewing history has generated considerable feedback from users on platforms such as Reddit and dedicated forums. The subscribers have complained a lot about this shortcoming and claim it is a must-have for any streaming service currently. Users say it would be great if Disney Plus can provide a viewing history, as other services do, in order to make Disney Plus more personalized and user-controlled. On the other hand, there is also a demand for considering users’ privacy while implementing such features in Disney Plus. For example, the end users may desire a feature that hides certain titles from their watch history or excludes recommendations based on content they have consumed. This degree of personalization would add value to user experience and engagement with the service.
Possible Solutions for Controlling Disney plus viewing history
Although Disney Plus does not have a particular feature that allows its users directly to view or delete their watch history, there are some workarounds which can be used by the users.
- Temporary Profiles
One works by making temporary profiles, strictly for content viewing that a user doesn’t want to affect the recommendations or watch history of their main profile. Viewers can set up a different, new profile that caters specifically to their genres or types of content-for example, children’s programming-and then watch those titles without it reflecting in the Continue Watching list or recommendations of their primary account. When viewers are done with the temporary profile, they can delete it along with its associated watch history. - Using Third-Party Tools
For viewers, who are keen to exercise better control over what they watch, there exists a possible external helper in the form of video downloaders. The tool would download content from Disney Plus for users to watch offline with no influence on the Continue Watching list. Of course, it goes without saying that these tools should be used responsibly and within the boundaries of the law.
What’s Next?: Future Developments
As streaming services continue to compete for subscribers and evolve, one can expect that in due time, Disney Plus will work out its main shortages in regard to viewing history. Perhaps users’ demand for more personalized experiences will move Disney Plus developers toward implementing features for access to historical data of what has been watched. Such enhancements could include:
- A History of Viewed Section: It would become clearer and easier to access if every title that a user watched was displayed in one place over time.
- Options to Remove Selected Titles: Giving users control as to what appears in their watch history makes them feel empowered to curate their experience actively.
- Enhanced Recommendation Algorithms: It could allow for better recommendation algorithms with tailored offerings closer to the interests of users based on better analysis of viewing history data.
These would make Disney Plus more comparable to industry standards in general, while enhancing overall user satisfaction. You can also learn how to get Disney plus free trial from our previous article.
Conclusion
Disney + has become one very powerful rival competitor in the land of streaming if an extensive library of beloved content is anything to say by. As it stands today, though, the lack of a viewing history is a big negative against it for most subscribers. Whereas the Continue Watching list and Watchlist alternatives provide decent management for viewed content, neither one meets all user needs. Based on this continued feedback from users, it’s hopeful that Disney Plus will mature its platform with features that allow more personalization and control in the context of viewing habits. In an increasingly competitive market where the leading principle is the user’s experience, such problems might be what cements Disney Plus’ position as one of the leading streamers over the coming years. Conclusion In short, though a lot has changed since Disney Plus was launched—millions of subscribers, an impressive catalog of content—the lack of certain basics, like viewing history, has the potential to hamper its growth if left unchecked. With the development of technology in streamers, their consumers are gaining higher expectations, which means Disney has to innovate constantly to keep up with the highly dynamic industrial environment.
