Netflix gives you two different ways to clear something out of Continue Watching, and they do completely different things. Nearly every guide online treats them as the same action. Pick the wrong one and you either fail to fix what was bothering you, or you delete more than you meant to.
First: which one do you actually want?
| Remove From Row | Delete from viewing activity | |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Hides the title from Continue Watching | Deletes the watch record entirely |
| Viewing history | Untouched | Erased |
| Recommendations | Unaffected — Netflix still learned from it | Stops influencing what you’re shown |
| Can you find the title again? | Yes, by searching | Yes, but with no progress saved |
| Speed | Instant, across all your devices | Can take a while to fully propagate |
Match it to why you’re here:
- The row is cluttered and untidy → Remove From Row
- You gave up on something and don’t want reminding → Remove From Row
- You watched something you’d rather wasn’t shaping your recommendations → delete from viewing activity
- Someone else uses this profile and you’d rather they didn’t see it → delete from viewing activity
Remove From Row
This is the one most people want. It tidies the row and nothing else.
On a computer
- Go to your Netflix home page and find the Continue Watching row
- Place your cursor over the title you want gone
- Select Remove From Row
Netflix may ask why you’re removing it. There is a “just cleaning up” style option — it makes no difference to what happens.
On a phone or tablet
- Find the title in the Continue Watching row
- Tap Menu for that title
- Select Remove From Row
On a TV
- Open the details page for the show or film
- From the menu, select Remove from Continue Watching
The change takes effect immediately and applies everywhere you use that profile — clear it on your phone and it is gone from the telly too.
Deleting from viewing activity
This is the heavier option. It removes the record that you watched the thing at all, which is what actually stops it influencing your recommendations.
- Go to your Account page in a browser
- Open Profile & Parental Controls and select the profile
- Open Viewing activity
- Find the title and select the hide or remove icon beside it
For a series, hiding one episode usually offers the option to hide the whole show in one go — worth taking rather than working through episodes individually.
Two things to expect. It is not always instant: recommendations can take a while to catch up, because Netflix recalculates rather than reverting immediately. And it also clears the title from Continue Watching as a side effect — which is why Netflix suggests this route for anyone whose app is too old to offer Remove From Row.
What neither option does
- Neither hides the title from Netflix. It stays in the catalogue and in search. You are clearing your row, not blocking the show — for that you want the title-blocking feature in parental controls.
- Neither affects other profiles. Continue Watching is per profile, so clearing yours does nothing to anyone else’s.
- Neither cancels a download. If you have the title saved offline it stays on the device until you delete it there.
If the option isn’t there
Netflix states that removing titles from the Continue Watching row requires the latest version of the Netflix app. If you cannot find Remove From Row, that is almost always why — particularly on older smart TVs, which are frequently a version or two behind.
Two ways round it: update the app if the device allows, or use the viewing activity route above, which works from any browser regardless of what your TV is running.
The permanent fix nobody suggests
If your Continue Watching row is permanently a mess, clearing it repeatedly is treating the symptom.
The usual cause is several people sharing one profile — everyone’s half-watched shows pile into the same row, and everyone’s recommendations end up muddled as a result.
Continue Watching is per profile. Give each person their own and the problem disappears permanently: separate rows, separate progress, and recommendations that actually reflect one person’s taste. It takes two minutes and you will not have to clear the row again.
Frequently asked questions
Does removing from Continue Watching delete my viewing history?
No. Remove From Row only hides the title from that row. To delete the record itself, remove it from your viewing activity in your account settings.
Will it come back?
Only if you play the title again. Removing it does not stop you watching it later — it just stops it sitting in the row.
Can I clear the whole row at once?
Not in one action. Titles are removed individually, though hiding a series from viewing activity usually offers to hide all its episodes together.
Does clearing it affect other people on the account?
No. Each profile has its own Continue Watching row and its own history.
Why can’t I see the Remove option on my TV?
Almost certainly an outdated app version — Netflix limits this feature to the latest release. Use the viewing activity method in a browser instead.
In short
Remove From Row for tidiness; delete from viewing activity when you want it to stop affecting your recommendations. And if you are doing either regularly, separate profiles will fix it for good.
For other common problems, see our UK streaming help guide.
