What you need to know
- In its Q1 2026 report, Netflix informs that it will look to redesign its mobile app, and leading the charge will be vertical videos.
- These videos will be a part of a new “discovery feed” to help members locate new content on the service.
- This sounds quite similar to “Verts on Disney Plus,” which the streaming service debuted to help drive more engagement in March.
Whether it’s vertical videos or short-form content, it seems like every app is getting in on it in one way or another, just like Netflix.
In Netflix’s Q1 2026 round-up for shareholders, where it posted a 16% year-over-year (YoY) revenue growth, it mentioned a new feature headed to mobile users (via The Verge). There are three areas that Netflix says it plans to focus on, but what concerns this particular article is how it plans to “leverage technology” to improve its service. The company says it is preparing a “redesign” for its mobile app, which will introduce vertical videos “at the end of the month.”
Android Central’s Take
Netflix recently rolled out a pretty decent TV UI rework, now it’s looking at its mobile experience. Does it really need vertical videos? No. I don’t think it does. I see the trailers online, I get the emails. Am I really going to open Netflix on my phone to look at vertical videos? No.
These vertical videos are headed to the mobile app in their own “discovery feed.” So, it seems wise to imagine a new button (for whatever the feed will be called) appearing toward the end of April. Netflix didn’t state what kind of content viewers would see. Would it be short clips from movies and shows or trailers?
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What it did cover is the overall mobile app redesign, stating it will “better reflect our expanding entertainment offering and make it easier for members to engage how and when they want.” Netflix then highlighted its use of Gen AI to recommend better content to members who might be more prone to watching.
If the idea of a streaming service looking to vertical videos to drive more engagement sounds familiar, you wouldn’t be wrong.
Back during CES 2026, Disney announced its plans to introduce short-form, vertical videos to its streaming service. Of course, the similarities poured in: YouTube Shorts, TikTok, etc. An executive present at the conference said that the service’s vertical videos shouldn’t feel “disjointed” when they arrive. They added that its content would involve “original short-form programming,” among others.
Android Central’s Take
Competition is good, or something like that, right? Netflix seems to want to have its hand in everything. Yet, it seems that the consumer is always getting something gouged out of them, ,mainly their money. The Standard plan (no ads) isn’t even recognizable. It’s now $20, after it was far less than that a few years ago. Now, even its 4K plan is an incredible $27. All I can really do is shake my head.
Fast-forward to March, and “Verts on Disney Plus” debuted. Verts (like the ESPN version) will offer content for users that is relevant to their tastes. Users can find clips from shows and movies with the option of hopping into that content or saving it to view later. This is likely similar to what Netflix is chasing; however, it’s hard to forget about its latest price hike, which doesn’t quite make sense.
Prices rose across the board for Standard with Ads and Standard (Ad-Free), which see $8.99 and $19.99 monthly charges. What’s more, Netflix’s Premium (4K + Spatial Audio) is now $26.99. This price increase comes a meager 14 months after another from January 2025.
