Netflix announced Wednesday that it was testing its short video feature, indicating that even the streaming giant with over 300 million subscribers is worried about losing time for viewers who spent mobile on apps like Tiktok, YouTube shorts and Instagram reels.
The company debuted its feature at its first product and high-tech event. There, we also revealed some other future plans for the service. These plans include AI-powered search tools, redesigning the TV homepage and improving real-time recommendations.
Netflix's new mobile-only vertical feed allows users to scroll through clips of the original title with ease. Within this feed, users can tap a button to watch the show or the entire movie right away, save it to “My List” or share it with friends.
Notable is that the clips are curated from the “Top Picks for Today's Top Picks” section, rather than being selected from the entire Netflix library. This approach will be tailored specifically to each user and ultimately encourage viewers to watch the full show.
The experiment will be deployed globally in the coming weeks on iOS and Android devices. Users will see it as tabs on the in-app homepage.
The introduction of this feature takes place at a critical time as competition between platforms increases for viewer attention. Viewers are increasingly supporting quick entertainment, leading to changes in traditional viewing habits. As a result, even large players like Netflix have adapted to keep and attract subscribers. This also follows President Trump's second extension of the Tiktok ban deadline.
The latest tests follow trends among other streaming services that are trying similar features. Tubi entered a short form video with a “scene” feature last year. More recently, Peacock launched a curated vertical video playlist earlier this year. This also features short clips of television series and films, as well as sports and news content.
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Netflix is no stranger to experiment with short form video content. In 2021, the platform rolled out a Tiktok-inspired feature called “Fast Laughs” and focused on interesting clips. However, this new test is more personalized, with the aim of reaching more audiences beyond comedy fans alone.
Image credits: Netflix
Regarding the new Netflix homepage update, one of the small changes implemented is that the “Search” and “My List” shortcuts have been moved to the top of the page, previously on the left side, making them easier to access.
Netflix also has a new “callout” badge to help viewers discover the title. For example, if a user is searching for the latest Emmy-winning content, these badges will be visible on title cards posted on the homepage.
Additionally, Netflix has improved its real-time recommendation system. Currently, subscribers search for content take into account factors such as trailers that viewers have recently seen and actors they are looking up. For example, if you give a thumbs up to the popular TV series Wednesday, the system quickly adjusts the homepage to display similar recommended titles.