iPhone XS Max Netflix screen fill on Max size iPhone

[Oohara]

Is it possible to have a movie on Netflix fill the entire screen in a symmetrical shape with only the notch end cut off? That is, so only the "flaps" are blacked out and the rest of the screen is filled with the image.

Testing in stores I've only been able to set it to either completely full screen with the notch cutting into the picture, or pinched in where it'll show the full letterbox movie image but with black bars all around. In the latter case I don't get why they don't allow the image to stretch all the way to the right edge of the screen. That's what I'm hoping the Netflix app would do, but I don't know anyone who owns the phone so I haven't been able to test it for myself.

 

[nrvna76]

Just tried on mine. Doesn’t seem to be possible.

 

[ruslan120]

No.

Apple’s User Experience Guide encourages developers to embrace the notch. I presume anything that works around the notch will not be approved in the App Store.

(I too have had this idea :/ ).


The way I think of the notch is that it makes things like maps, photos, anything scrollable and zoomable more immersive. I don’t think of it as designed for video.

 

[Oohara]

Dang, I was afraid of that. Basically my whole workflow is on Apple devices now and I would have liked to be able to to my mobile movie watching on a iPhone Max (about to upgrade from 7 Plus) but then it looks like I'll go for a small iPhone and look elsewhere for a device that handles that better.

I did buy a OnePlus 6T a few months ago, as a cheaper OLED alternative to the Max. Its screen quality is great and it does have a setting where you can fill out the "flaps" system wide, including in the Netflix app. But the problem there is that when you hold it in landscape you get the corners on one side rounded with a different radius than those on the left side which hurts my eyes too much. That's much less of a disturbance than having a whole notch cutting into the image but it's still too disturbing for me. I want my movies symmetrical, end of.

Been looking into other devices and the Samsung Galaxy A80 currently looks like the best option, it has a 6.7" flat AMOLED screen and uses a pop out camera to get rid of any notch/cutout, with 20:9 aspect ratio which means it's pretty godly for movies. Just wish it was an iPhone so I could stick to one device only.

No.

Apple’s User Experience Guide encourages developers to embrace the notch. I presume anything that works around the notch will not be approved in the App Store.

(I too have had this idea :/ ).


The way I think of the notch is that it makes things like maps, photos, anything scrollable and zoomable more immersive. I don’t think of it as designed for video.

I agree, I don't mind the notch in any other situation really but in this case it honestly seems silly of Apple to be so pig headed

 

[ruslan120]

You tried out Android?! :O

You sir, are already braver than I.

But the problem there is that when you hold it in landscape you get the corners on one side rounded with a different radius than those on the left side which hurts my eyes too much.

I never would have thought of that. It seems like it would make sense to trim the video on the curved side, if only by a bit. Maybe there's an app/tweak/program for that in the Play Store?

 

[Oohara]

You tried out Android?! :O

You sir, are already braver than I.

Haha yeah I took the big daring leap for the first time like 7 years ago with the Note II. Have owned a bunch of Androids since but I still always come back to iPhone for my daily driver uses. The integration with the Watch and MBP is just too good. So is the reading mode on Safari...I still can't fathom why nobody can come up with an equally clean alternative to that on Android.

Sometimes Android phones just have superior hardware alternatives though. As in this case. So I've started to play both sides at once... Quite satisfying actually to get the best of both worlds

I never would have thought of that. It seems like it would make sense to trim the video on the curved side, if only by a bit. Maybe there's an app/tweak/program for that in the Play Store?

Yeah I wish there was, but it's just too niche for anyone to bother I guess. It drives me nuts though. Watching movies full screen minus notch area is so sweet on my 6T....almost... But I guess it's too much to ask for Netflix to optimise their app to every single device.