Netflix working on audio-only background play for Android

Netflix is working on an interesting feature that will enable audio playback in the background. This means that you’ll be able to listen to shows and movies while they play in the background. This new Netflix feature will also help in saving data since the video will be turned off.

Netflix regularly tests features with select users but this one was spotted in the code of the Netflix app for Android. In an APK teardown of the Netflix app version 7.79.1, XDA Developers found strings mentioning the said feature. The strings read “Save your data by turning off the video and listening to your favorite shows,” and “The video is off, but you can continue listening to your show while you are busy doing other things.”

The strings are pretty straightforward, and the feature is quite easy to understand. Netflix will play shows and movies in the background with the video turned off so your data isn’t consumed as it would normally. Netflix already allows background play so you can still listen to only the audio while the show or movie plays in the background. This is however possible on iOS, and not on Android. When you’re watching Netflix and you lock your phone, Netflix will appear in the media player of the lock screen. You can press play and listen to it.

Netflix could be bringing this feature to Android. For now, Netflix users on Android can use Picture-in-Picture (PiP) mode which recently came to iPhones with the latest iOS 14.