Can you believe it’s been 10 years since Netflix last made a major change to its interface? A new TV app redesign is rolling out to some users on Thursday. It’s a new Netflix for a new streaming environment that’s no longer just focused on movies and shows, but also on live sports and video games.
The first thing you’ll probably notice is that the TV app redesign removes the vertical menu on the far left. Instead, you’ll see a small horizontal menu at the top of the app, organized with options like “Home,” “Shows,” “Movies,” and “My Netflix.” The tabs were first added to the mobile app version, but are now available on the TV as well. Pressing the back button on your remote will instantly return you to the menu bar at the top. Gone are tabs like “New & Popular” and “My List.” The “Categories” menu is still there, but you’ll need to use the search function to find it.
The biggest changes become apparent when you hover over individual tiles. Hovering over each tile for a moment plays a clip of the show or movie and gives the user a text description and more information, like total playtime. Otherwise, Netflix will continue to surface algorithmically suggested “Discover” content front and center on the Home tab. Shows and Movies will also help you discover content based on your preferences, and those of your friends, if Netflix knows them.
Pat Fleming, Netflix’s senior director of product experience, told Gizmodo that the streamer wants to make navigation within the app easier and less cluttered. He said that Netflix’s product research found that users engage in “eye gymnastics,” having to look around the screen to find descriptions, trailers, ratings, and more for each show or movie. All of this should fit more onto each tile, he said.
“In the future, when you evaluate a particular movie, series or game, all the information will be right in front of you,” he said.
The “New and Popular” tab will still appear on the mobile app, but Netflix hopes the new version will streamline the experience and better accommodate people who struggle to decide what to watch every night. Be honest: have you ever wondered how often you should check the “New and Popular” menu?
It’s fair to say that a lot has changed since 10 years ago, when Netflix primarily streamed movies and shows from other companies. It’s definitely expensive Compared to years past, Netflix is focusing on acquiring hits, but that’s not all. Godzilla Minus One and 1917. Netflix has a ton of original content, including slow-burn horror Watcher And science fiction film adaptations 3. Physical issuesOriginal content now accounts for more than half of the streamer’s total content offering.
But now it’s gone beyond that: Netflix is getting into some live sports programming. Simulated live sporting events, WWE Streamingand the It’s just been postponed Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul. And let’s not forget Netflix has some pretty good gamesThe number of TV shows available in the ongoing beta program is limited, but it’s a growing part of Netflix’s current expansion plans. Will Netflix eventually add tabs like “Sports” and “Games” to the top bar in addition to “Shows” and “Movies”? That’s “to be determined,” Fleming said, but added that it’s “a very intuitive thought.”
The new app version is being tested by a small number of select subscribers, who will provide feedback, before Netflix considers rolling out the update more widely. As for whether this portends further changes to the mobile or web versions, Flemming couldn’t say yes or no. After all, all other streaming services need to copy Netflix again first before anyone starts trying to reinvent the wheel.
