5 Hidden Disney+ Features You Need to Change

Disney+ is a streaming service that is well worth your money if you are a fan of their properties, whether owned or purchased. However, a library of countless movies and shows, including beloved animated classics (and their soulless live-action remakes) is virtually worthless without a suite of features.

As you scroll through Disney+’s settings and content catalog, you’ll find a veritable deluge of features. You can use the Shareplay feature on iPads, iPhones, or Apple TV to watch content with friends and family during a FaceTime call, and the “Extras” tab on many movies and shows includes bloopers and special behind-the-scenes videos. However, some features are hidden and provide settings to streamline or improve your experience.

Here are some of the Disney+ features and settings you’re missing, in part because they’re not the most obvious settings on the platform. These entries are not listed in any particular order, and hopefully Disney won’t make this article obsolete by adding (or removing) useful but hidden features in the near future.

Although the size, resolution and color accuracy of televisions have improved significantly, these advances come at a cost. Modern TVs lack many buttons, relegating most of their functions to remote controls, which have also ditched their extra buttons in favor of features like voice control. However, the accuracy of voice recognition is hit or miss, so why not replace it with computer accuracy?

If you enjoy watching Disney+ on PC, chances are you use a mouse and keyboard to navigate the various menus and enter program titles. You can also use keyboards with your smart TVs and take advantage of shortcuts. For example, you can use the left and right arrow keys to rewind and fast forward, and the “S” key skips intros and recaps of your content.

To be honest, this feature is less of a Disney+ setting and more of a benefit of modern TV technology. Simply connect a physical keyboard to your smart TV and you’re ready to go. You don’t even need the best keyboards designed specifically for smart TVs; any compatible keyboard that connects to your TV via Bluetooth will work. And if not, connect a keyboard via dongle or link it to a streaming device like the Nvidia Shield and use it as a bridge between Disney+ and your keyboard.

Most people associate Disney with family content, and you can find plenty of movies and shows on Disney+ to watch with your kids. You have modern classics like “Bluey,” but you can also introduce them to shows you grew up with, like “Dinosaurs.” Disney+ also has plenty of features that let your kids watch shows on their own before you’re ready to take their training wheels off.

Disney+ has plenty of parental controls to prevent your children from watching shows that aren’t age-appropriate. For example, you can set the content rating on your child’s account to ensure they can’t watch movies like “Scream” (yes, you can stream this movie on Disney+). Simply:

1. Go to Profiles or hover over a profile icon on a computer.
2. Select “Edit Profiles”.
3. Click on the profile you want to edit.
4. Select “Parental Controls”.
5. Enter your password.
6. Select the desired content rating, then click “Save”.
7. Return to the “Edit Profiles” page and select “Done.”

Parental controls don’t stop there. In this menu you can enable “Allow unrated titles, like live sports, news, etc.” » to prevent children from watching unrated content. You can also enable “Junior Mode” to narrow down their library without the need to set content age ratings, as well as to streamline the interface. You can also enable “Childproof Exit” (after re-entering your password), which requires juniors to first complete an exit challenge before leaving the profile to ensure that your children cannot easily circumvent the age limit.

Many people buy the best devices they can afford so that they can experience the highest quality audio and video. However, a setup is only half the equation; you need to ensure that streaming platforms like Disney+ can take advantage of their full potential.

Disney+ is pretty good at defaulting to the best audio quality your device can provide, and the same goes for video settings. Normally you don’t need to do anything, but you should visit your TV’s settings menu and make sure features like 5.1 surround sound and Dolby Atmos are enabled. But let’s say you watch your shows on the go and want your battery to last as long as possible. Next, you’ll want to change the data usage settings:

1. Open the Disney+ app.
2. Tap your profile icon and select “App Settings”.
3. Select “Cellular Data Usage”.
4. Choose the option that uses the least data.

Video and audio won’t be as sharp, but streaming them won’t require as much battery or mobile data.

With IMAX Enhanced mode on Disney+, you can watch certain content shot on IMAX cameras in an expanded aspect ratio. While some films will start playing in the extended IMAX format for the entire runtime, others will switch between the standard format and IMAX during certain sequences. You don’t need to do anything special to enable this setting, as it is enabled by default. However, if you are the minority who finds abruptly switching between different image formats annoying, here’s how to disable the feature:

1. Open the “Movies” tab.
2. Select the “Imax Enhanced” filter.
3. Click on the movie you want to watch.
4. Click “Versions”.
5. Select the widescreen version instead of the one with “IMAX Enhanced” in the title.

Disney+ is packed with so many great shows and movies that it’s hard to talk yourself out of a binge-watching session. I can think of worse ways to spend my Saturday than watching every episode of “Andor.” And you don’t even need to lift a finger: the app will automatically play the next episode for you. Unless you find this feature annoying, of course.

Let’s be honest: Autoplay is more trouble than it’s worth. The feature simply starts the next episode of a show far too quickly. Sure, you can take a break whenever you want, but what if you’re done for the day? You don’t have to do anything; just let the credits roll and turn off the TV at your convenience. But with autoplay, you have to quickly grab the remote to stop it from continuing a show you don’t want to continue (for the day). And some people report that when you watch a movie, Disney+ automatically plays another movie.

If you want to disable this annoying feature, you can only do so per profile:

1. Go to Profiles or hover over a profile icon on a computer.
2. Select “Edit Profiles”.
3. Click on the profile you want to edit.
4. Enable “Autoplay” so that it is disabled.
5. Select “Done”.

While autoplay is potentially annoying, turning it off serves another purpose: As long as your child doesn’t have the remote, they won’t spend all their time in front of the TV. This could be a crucial parameter if they promised to complete their homework or accomplish certain tasks after an episode.

If you have a Disney+ subscription, you probably get it through the Disney+/Hulu/HBO bundle. And if you don’t, you should, because you can save a lot of money with this streaming plan. Yes, Disney owns Hulu (along with ABC, ESPN, and National Geographic), and thanks to that ownership, you don’t necessarily need different apps to enjoy the library.

When you open the Disney+ app or visit the website, you should see several icons at the top, including “For You” and the Disney+ logo. If you’re a subscriber to the package, you should also see the Hulu logo just to the right of the Disney+ logo. Just click or tap on it, and the platform will start recommending shows and movies you can’t normally get on Disney+, all without visiting Hulu. Less hidden in the traditional sense and more hidden in plain sight, but it’s still easy to forget that this setting exists.

With this feature, you can store your order book in one global watchlist, but don’t get too comfortable. As previously noted, you need the bundle to watch Hulu shows on the Disney+ app – no bundle, no “Only Murders in the Building.” Additionally, while most Hulu shows and movies are available through Disney+, some content is still exclusive to the Hulu app and site. If you want to watch Hulu+ Live TV and Hulu add-ons, you’ll need to venture outside of Disney+ and purchase the option to watch them. Additionally, you might still see ads on Hulu shows, depending on your subscription.