We have recently seen how streaming video platforms do not seem interested in making it easy for us to be able to follow the content we are watching. It is a problem that affects the vast majority of platforms and one more element to which we users must put a solution with the weapons at our disposal.
It is not something specific, because there we have the examples of Netflix, Disney +, HBO Max, Apple TV + … All of them complicate to a greater or lesser extent, the fact that we can follow a series that we are watching and that, despite all the potential that its applications and algorithms hide. For this reason and to remedy this, we find in the mobile application market some alternatives that help us to solve this problem.
Apps and mobile to the rescue
It is enough to enter any of these platforms, to see how the algorithm that is supposed to be there to help us, what it does rather is offer new content, which may interest us based on what we have seen.
The problem is that while doing that, hide what we are seeing and we are forced to move through different rows and categories until we find that series that we have left halfway. In fact, as a quote, Antonio Sabán in his article, for example, the “Keep watching” section on Netflix does not appear until the seventh row
Another example below these lines. On HBO Max, continue watching is hidden in the web version within the “My Stuff” section when clicking on the profile and despite following several series, the field appears empty.
I have chosen these platforms as an example, but the same goes for Prime Video, Apple TV + or Disney +… It is not easy to follow a series without seeing how they recommend a new one in between.
All this means that, if it were a supermarket, we would have to scroll through different categories and content, until we find what we are looking for, a walk in which we will surely end up pressing some other option and “falling” into the trap.
However, and despite how difficult the platforms make it, there are applications that they help us find and follow everything we are seeing and not lose detail. Specifically, I use three: two to keep up to date with when they put each episode of my favorite series, and another where I can find out what platform they are showing it on in case I have forgotten or have any questions.
These applications, available on iOS and Android, are TV Time (you also have a web version) and Just Watch. I am going to explain how I use them, because all of them also have an advantage: they are free.
TV Time is the first one I use. A free application in which it is enough to register, to be able to have it synchronized on all the devices in which we have it installed, those series we are watching.
We can keep track of each chapter watched, as well as those we have pending. Also, if we register and we already have a half-watched series, when we mark a chapter as seen, the application asks us if we want to mark all the previous ones as already seen.
In addition, this application stands out because it offers a list with the chapters that will be broadcast each daybeing able to even add them to our calendar on the mobile and in this way we do not miss any.
However, it may be the case that at a certain moment we forget the platform on which the series we are watching is being broadcast, and for those moments I use another such as Just Watch. The perfect complement, when we are subscribed to different platforms.
How this app works does not hide any secret, Well, all you have to do is type the series or movie you are looking for, so that the application returns the platform or platforms on which it is being shown. As simple as that.
If you try to supply with a little help, everything that the algorithm of video-on-demand platforms, try to hide at first sight. With these two applications, we can keep track of both the episodes seen and those that remain to be seen and thus not get lost in the maremagnum of the platform on duty.