Netflix jumps into vertical video hype train, redesigns app feed to boost engagement
Netflix is set to bring a vertical video feed similar to TikTok and Instagram reels to its mobile app. The company announced the implementation to take place at the end of April. Here is what we know so far about the change.
There’s something almost magical about reels and scrollable short videos—they’re reshaping how people consume content. More users now prefer watching entertainment on small screens rather than big screens. Recognising this shift, major platforms like Netflix are revamping their mobile experience. The company announced a redesigned mobile app on Thursday, set to roll out by the end of this month, which will introduce a more scrollable, discovery-focused interface. The new design will feature a vertical video feed, similar to platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels.
Netflix, in its Q1 2026 earnings letter, said to shareholders, “This redesign will better reflect our expanding entertainment offering and make it easier for members to engage how and when they want.”
Why Netflix is doing this
Netflix has been planning for this shift for quite a long time. Last year, the company's Chief Product Officer, Eunice Kim, said in a press briefing, “We know that swiping through a vertical feed on social media apps is an easy way to browse video content.” And it is also understood that clips and trailers are widely used by members to discover their next obsession.
Co-CEO Greg Peters said in January that the company was planning to revamp its mobile UI to “better serve the expansion of our business over the decade to come.”
Netflix is apparently aiming to provide a more modern user interference that is designed for how people actually use phones today. As people watch content more on smartphones, the company said, the lines between “entertainment on TV and mobile devices are blurring,” noting that video podcasts perform particularly strongly on mobile platforms.
This development follows last year’s major redesign of Netflix’s TV app, which introduced a cleaner and more intuitive interface aimed at improving content discovery. The updated homepage features a large banner highlighting recommended content, along with curated rows such as “Your Next Watch” and “Top Picks.”
Netflix is not the only digital entertainment platform thinking of shifting to the vertical video feed. Hotstar has also announced plans to introduce short, scrollable vertical videos on Disney+ in the US later this year, aiming to boost daily user engagement. The feature is expected to include everything from teasers and clips to original short-form content.