Netflix announced that an upcoming app update will ensure users are more engaged than ever. Its solution is adding TikTok-style videos to the Android and iOS apps so you can doomscroll, then binge-watch.
Netflix announced during its Q4 earnings call that mobile users will soon see a new app update (via TechCrunch). CEO Greg Peters noted that the update will bring not only an app redesign, but a focus on short-form video. The move is justified as one that will “better serve the expansion of [Netflix] over the decade to come.”
Vertical video feeds are nothing new, and TikTok is the most recognizable example. It’s a feature that has been integrated into most major video or social apps, in one way or another. Instagram has reels, while YouTube has Shorts. Netflix getting one, though, was not on the bingo card.
In theory, these videos will showcase Netflix clips to either help users find a new show to watch or entertain them for a few minutes while they wait at the doctor’s office. The Netflix app update announcement specifically referenced the company’s video podcasts as a source for these clips.
The move wasn’t entirely unexpected, given reports from certain film and TV industry professionals suggesting that Netflix has been embracing doomscrolling. The company has reportedly focused on developing “second-screen shows,” which deliberately reduce dialogue and plot complexity to rope in users’ attention spans, even if they’re watching TikTok or scrolling through Reels.
With that context, the addition of short-form videos to Netflix’s app redesign isn’t so surprising. It plays into the notion that attention needs to be sustained throughout the entire experience, even during the mundane task of picking a show or movie to watch.
The company didn’t provide any further details about the Android or iOS Netflix update, other than a broad 2026 release date.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Comments