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Netflix Adds a 'Mystery Box' to Kids Profiles to Surface New Shows

The idea is that the sparkly rectangle may entice kids to watch something different than CoComelon on infinite loop.

Headshot of Joan E. Solsman
Headshot of Joan E. Solsman
Joan E. Solsman Former Senior Reporter
Joan E. Solsman was CNET's senior media reporter, covering the intersection of entertainment and technology. She's reported from locations spanning from Disneyland to Serbian refugee camps, and she previously wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal. She bikes to get almost everywhere and has been doored only once.
Expertise Streaming video, film, television and music; virtual, augmented and mixed reality; deep fakes and synthetic media; content moderation and misinformation online Credentials
  • Three Folio Eddie award wins: 2018 science & technology writing (Cartoon bunnies are hacking your brain), 2021 analysis (Deepfakes' election threat isn't what you'd think) and 2022 culture article (Apple's CODA Takes You Into an Inner World of Sign)
Joan E. Solsman
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Netflix is adding a "mystery box" feature for kids profiles on TVs, with the aim of surfacing new titles to young viewers -- an audience prone to repeat-watching the same programs over and over. 

Netflix's "mystery box" feature for kids reveals a recommendation for a new title to watch. 

 Netflix

The feature adds a sparkly rectangle in the middle of the Favorites Row at the top of the home page on a kids profile. Hovering over the "mystery box" will reveal a new title, Netflix said. 

Netflix, whose 221 million members make it the world's dominant subscription streaming service, has in recent years been investing to amp up its appeal for its youngest viewers. The latest move comes at a time when streaming video has never been more popular -- and the competition around it never more fierce. In the last two years, media giants and tech heavyweights have launched their own rivals to Netflix, with services like Apple TV Plus, Disney Plus, HBO Max and Peacock rolling out. 

These so-called streaming wars also affect how many services you must use -- and pay for -- to watch your favorite shows and movies online.

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