Netflix Plans App Redesign to Boost Daily Use with Video Feeds

Netflix announced plans Tuesday to redesign its mobile app, aiming to pull in users more often by adding features like vertical video feeds. The streaming service wants to match the pull of apps like TikTok and Instagram as people shift toward quick mobile viewing. The changes come as Netflix hits 325 million paid subscribers and sees ad revenue top $1.5 billion last year.

Background

Netflix has watched social video apps take over mobile screens. Platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram now lead in short clips that users scroll through endlessly. Netflix started testing its own vertical video feed back in May, showing quick cuts from its shows and movies. This lets people swipe through familiar formats to find something to watch.

The company shared these plans during its fourth-quarter earnings call. Co-CEOs Greg Peters and Ted Sarandos talked about how streaming now fights not just other services but all entertainment. TV viewing has changed, with big events like the Oscars and NFL games showing up on YouTube. Apple chases awards, and Instagram eyes more video too.

Netflix grew revenue to $45.2 billion in 2025. Subscriptions passed 325 million in the last quarter. Ads brought in over $1.5 billion. But to keep growing, leaders say the app needs to fit daily habits better.

CTO Elizabeth Stone spoke at the TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 conference about these shifts. She said Netflix sees users wanting full shows or movies sometimes, but quick bites other times. The vertical feed tests aim to meet people where they are on phones.

Netflix also launched original video podcasts this week. Shows with hosts like Pete Davidson and Michael Irvin join deals with Spotify and iHeartMedia. These fit into the short-form push, as clips from podcasts could fill the feeds.

Key Details

The redesign sets for launch later in 2026. It will weave vertical video deeper into the app. Users will see short clips from Netflix content in a swipeable format. Tap a clip to jump to the full show or movie, add to a list, or share.

Peters called it a base for future tests. The app will let Netflix tweak features over time to improve.

“You can imagine us bringing more clips based on new content types, like video podcasts,” Peters said on the earnings call.

Stone added details on related tools. The Moments feature lets users clip and share scenes from shows. This creates social ties without leaving Netflix's focus on premium content.

Vertical Feed Tests

Tests roll out in coming weeks and quarters through 2026. The feed starts with clips of originals to spark full views. Netflix positions this as discovery, not a full social shift. Stone stressed they won't copy TikTok exactly.

“Netflix is not intending to copy or chase exactly what a TikTok or others are doing because we think that there's a certain type of entertainment that's especially valuable to our members,” Stone said at Disrupt.

Other app updates include better search with generative AI on iOS. Users can type natural phrases like 'something funny and upbeat.' Shortcuts to search and lists move to easy spots. Recommendations adjust to moods in real time.

Netflix eyes hybrid models too. It shifts theatrical releases and plans to buy Warner Bros., blending cinema with streaming.

What This Means

These changes could lift daily time spent in the app. Short clips hook users into longer watches, boosting views and subs. Netflix bets vertical feeds promote its library without dropping full-length focus.

Competition heats up as lines blur between streaming, social, and traditional TV. More snackable content might draw younger viewers glued to phones. But Netflix walks a line: add social feel without becoming another TikTok.

Podcasts expand reach. Clips from new originals could spread fast, pulling in fans of hosts like Davidson. Partnerships with Spotify and iHeartMedia add ready libraries.

For users, discovery gets simpler. Feeds and AI search cut time hunting for watches. Shares build buzz outside the app.

The redesign preps Netflix for business growth over the next decade. Leaders see it as key to hold attention amid fierce fights for eyes and dollars. As mobile rules video, Netflix adapts to stay central in entertainment.