Netflix is officially introducing gamertag-style handles that subscribers can use in its mobile games. The company started rolling out handles shown in multiplayer games and on online leaderboards in some games last month, but in a blog post published on TuesdayNetflix said users can now set them up on both iOS and Android devices.
The process of actually creating your handle differs depending on the operating system you are using. On Android, on the Games tab in Netflix’s navigation bar, you can tap the “Create your Netflix game handle” banner to get started. The iOS version of the Netflix app does not have a special tab for games, so you need to download a game like Rival Pirates or Lucky Luna and follow the directions in the app.
I’m using iOS so I set up my Netflix handle via Lucky Luna. The process was pretty simple: when I opened the app, I selected my Netflix profile and typed in the username I wanted. (You can make your name as long as 16 characters and a combination of letters and numbers.) The name was available, so I pressed the “Let’s Play” button and jumped into the game. If you think you might want to change your username later, Netflix will let you do that.
Image: Jay Peters / The Verge
Netflix has quickly added to its collection of mobile games available to subscribers, a portfolio that now includes titles such as the popular indie strategy game in the breach and a special version of Heads up! The company has also acquired some game studios, including the developer of Ox free (a game that has also just appeared in the Netflix catalog) and yesterday said it was a internal studio in Helsinki, Finland. But Netflix seemingly has a way of convincing more people to watch its mobile titles, as a recent report indicated that less than 1 percent of subscribers play the games on a daily basis.