Netflix embarks on the biggest changes to its user experience since 2013
Netflix is embarking on major changes in how it interacts with customers in its first wholesale TV homepage redesign since 2013.
Announcing the release of a new home page – to be rolled out on May 19 – the streaming giant revealed it is also testing changes that include a vertical video feed that the company says better suits the mobile watching and sharing experience.
Executives also announced the company is exploring ways to integrate generative artificial intelligence into the experience in partnership with OpenAI.
Netflix said it will enable features such as more visible shortcuts to finding content and real-time recommendations that respond to viewers’ “moods and interests in the moment”.
Chief Product Officer Eunice Kim said Netflix wanted to create an experience that was “more flexible for our broad entertainment offerings, more intuitive and responsive to our members’ needs, and capable of elevating the most thrilling moments on Netflix”.
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The TikTok-style vertical video feed will allow users to save or share clips with friends.
“We know that swiping through a vertical feed on social media apps is an easy way to browse video content, and we also know that our members love to browse our clips and trailers to find their next obsession,” Kim said during a presentation for media.
The AI enhancements will allow members to use specific phrases when searching for what they want to watch, Chief Technology Officer Elizabeth Stone said during the presentation.
Those features will be powered by OpenAI, although the models will be trained by a team at Netflix in order to tailor to member needs.
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“Our members do a lot of eye gymnastics when they’re scrolling down and right and going back and forth between rows and title details on the homepage,” Kim said.
The TikTok-style vertical video feed will operate similar to mobile apps. Photo: Netflix
What’s new to Netflix
Some of the new homepage features announced by Netflix include:
- Simpler navigation: Shortcuts to Search, Shows, Movies, Games, and My Netflix will be located at the top of the screen and always visible.
- Responsive recommendations: Fresh rows of recommendations will be served up in real time as you browse content. The homepage will respond to your viewing and browsing history.
- A personalised My Netflix hub: A home for all partly-viewed shows, what you plan to watch next and special interest genres.
- Detailed information about each title: The new interface will include previews of a title’s synopsis, runtime, award wins, Top 10 history or key cast, all up-front while you browse.
The Netflix mobile will also get an AI-Powered search feature (opt-in only) coming as a beta test on Apple’s iOS.
Netflix began life in 1997 as a mail-based DVD rental business, before transitioning into a streaming entertainment company in 2007.
Netflix is the world’s most-subscribed video-on-demand streaming media service, with 301.6 million paid memberships in more than 190 countries as of January 2025.
However, the company has faced increasing competition for both subscribers and content in recent years, and more platforms enter the market offering exclusive access to shows and movies.
