Netflix adds vertical video feed to its iPhone app as it pushes mobile discovery

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Netflix is changing how you find what to watch on your phone. The company says it will roll out a redesigned iPhone app by the end of April, built around a vertical video discovery feed.

The update was announced in a shareholder letter following Netflix’s latest earnings report. The company says the new feed is part of a broader mobile redesign aimed at making it easier to browse and engage with its growing catalog.

A TikTok-style feed built for quick discovery

The vertical feed introduces a familiar pattern. Instead of scrolling through rows of thumbnails, you swipe through short video previews designed to help you decide faster. Netflix is clearly leaning into a format that already works across apps where attention is limited and decisions need to happen quickly.

This shift matters because mobile viewing is often about quick sessions. Opening Netflix on a phone rarely means committing to a full-length show right away. A feed that surfaces highlights, clips, or previews makes the entry point lighter and faster.

Netflix frames the change as a way to better reflect its expanding entertainment offering. The company now spans films, series, live events, and games. A vertical feed gives it a flexible surface to promote all of that without forcing users through traditional menus.

A broader push to rethink how Netflix feels to use

The mobile redesign lands alongside other recent changes across Netflix’s ecosystem. The company has been testing updates to its TV interface, even as its Apple TV app faced criticism for switching to a custom video player that felt like a downgrade.

At the same time, Netflix is expanding beyond video. Earlier this month, it launched a new app called Netflix Playground, focused on mini-games aimed at younger audiences. That puts it in more direct competition with Apple Arcade and signals a wider push into interactive content.

These moves point to a company trying to make its app feel less like a static library and more like a place you can explore. Discovery, not just playback, is becoming the core experience.

Also read: Netflix’s 2026 anime lineup looks big, but these are the ones I’d watch

Leadership change and pricing pressure in the background

The update also arrives during a period of internal and strategic shifts. Co-founder and chairman Reed Hastings has announced plans to step down from Netflix’s board, marking another transition in the company’s leadership structure.

At the same time, Netflix recently raised prices across all its plans, including the ad-supported tier. That puts more pressure on the app experience to feel worth paying for, especially on mobile where competition for attention is intense.

Why this change matters

The vertical video feed is a small interface change on the surface, but it signals a larger shift. Netflix is adapting to how people already use their phones. Instead of asking users to search or browse deliberately, it is pushing content toward them in a format that is fast, familiar, and easy to engage with.

If it works, finding something to watch on Netflix could start to feel less like browsing a catalog and more like discovering content in a stream. That is a meaningful change in how the service fits into everyday use.

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