Netflix has been experimenting with vertical movies, a la social media platforms, since 2018, when it first launched cellular previews that provided 30-second snapshots. Three years later, the streaming large rolled out Quick Laughs, an endlessly-scrolling feed of clips from Netflix content material.
These options, nevertheless, have solely been accessible in restricted capability, and the rollout has been a bit haphazard. As of 2025, I don’t have entry to any of these options on Android or iOS, regardless of residing in one of many platform’s greatest markets.
It appears Netflix is giving the idea one other go. Earlier at the moment, the corporate introduced a large overhaul for the Netflix house expertise, together with upgrades to the Search and advice techniques. Moreover, the corporate revealed a TikTok-inspired vertical video feed that includes spotlight clips from TV exhibits and movies.
Why does it matter?
A video feed of brief clips is an attention-grabbing strategy to preserve customers hooked briefly, however that is no social media the place you may remark or invite an entire neighborhood to work together with it. Netflix is aware of that every one too nicely, and it isn’t pitching the feed as its personal social media universe, both.
The core pitch is to present customers a preview of content material, and in the event that they discover it attention-grabbing, they’ll go straight to streaming it on the machine of their alternative. It’s no secret that customers spend a heck ton of time simply scrolling by the catalog or discussing with watch buddies on what to stream.
With the vertical feed, customers can scroll by a couple of carefully-cut clips and resolve in the event that they wish to dig in additional. Not like the Quick Laughs, which centered on “hilarious sequence and movies to laugh-out-loud stand-up specials,” the brand new vertical video feed goes to indicate content material from totally different genres and classes.
What’s the plan?
Nudging customers into watching the total film or TV sequence is without doubt one of the core aims of the vertical video feed. It can seem prominently on the house web page, although Netflix remains to be calling it a restricted take a look at. It can, nevertheless, be accessible to customers throughout the globe and can roll out steadily over the subsequent few weeks.
After all, it’s additionally a intelligent strategy to nudge others into signing up for Netflix. The streaming platform says customers will have the ability to share the clips with family and friends members instantly, simply the best way you do it on different social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
The vertical video feed might be accessible to customers throughout all subscription plans. When requested whether or not the corporate may even inject adverts between the vertical movies, Netflix executives advised the press that there are not any speedy plans for it, however the firm is at all times wanting ahead to new promoting avenues with out hurting the streaming expertise for customers.
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