Guides · 2026-10-07

How to keep track of the films and series you've watched

“Have we seen this one?” It comes up every film night. Here are five ways to keep track of what you watch, and how they differ.

1. A note on your phone

The quickest start: a list in your notes app. It's free and fast. The trouble shows after a few months: the list gets long, you don't know when you saw something, and you can't count how many films you watched this year.

2. A spreadsheet

Columns for title, date and rating give you more control, and you can sort and count. But you type everything by hand, and series get messy fast: is every episode a row?

3. Your streaming service's history

Netflix and the others remember what you watched with them. Only with them: a film at the cinema, at a friend's or on another service is missing, and the history goes when you cancel.

4. One app for films, another for series

Some apps are good at films, others at series. If you watch both, that means two apps, two lists and no single picture of what you actually watch.

5. A film and TV diary with dates

A diary saves every watch as an event with a date, not a tick in a box. That small difference gives you a lot:

• Rewatches count. If you watch the same Christmas film every December, it shows, year after year.
• Real statistics. How many films this year, your busiest month, your favourite directors, all counted from what you logged.
• Memories. “What did we watch on holiday last summer?” suddenly has an answer.

What to look for

• Films and series in one place, so the picture is complete.
• Quick to log. If it takes more than a few seconds, you'll stop.
• Dates, not just “seen”. Dates make your history and statistics worth something.
• Your data is yours. Check you can download everything and delete your account, and that nothing is sold.
• Friends if you like, but you decide what they see.

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