Netflix launches beta app to test data saver, other new features
The Netflix beta, which just went live, offers a mobile data saver feature. It apparently lowers the bandwidth available to the app when you’re not on Wi-Fi.
The update also adds support for Google Play billing, though it’s unclear if this will mean a higher price for you to make up for the 30 percent cut that Google takes on subscriptions delivered through the Play Store.
If you want in on the action, however, you have some work ahead of you. The official Netflix beta page says the program, “has enough testers and isn’t accepting more users.”
However, the good people of APK Mirror have a version that you can download if you want to check it out. The features that have turned up are just from an initial look at the app, so there could be more lurking underneath.
Why this matters: Data is a precious commodity, so any savings can add up to keep you under the monthly cap. Another option is to use T-Mobile’s Binge On, which doesn’t count streaming from supported services (like Netflix) against your data cap. However, keep in mind this will throttle all your video streams and reduce the quality to 480p.