Key Highlights:

• Netflix will redesign its mobile app in 2026 to boost daily engagement.
• Vertical, swipe-style video feeds will sit at the center of the new experience.
• The platform is expanding into video podcasts with celebrity-led shows.
• Netflix aims to compete for attention with TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram.

Netflix is preparing a major redesign of its mobile app as it competes with TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram for daily screen time. The company confirmed the move during its fourth-quarter earnings call. The update, set to roll out in 2026, will focus on mobile-first discovery and short-form video, reshaping how users find and consume content.

The shift matters because viewing habits have changed. Audiences now spend more time on swipeable, vertical feeds. Netflix wants to meet users where their attention already lives.

Why is Netflix changing its app?

Co-CEO Greg Peters said the new app will “better serve the expansion of our business over the decade to come.” The redesign will act as a base for constant testing and iteration. Netflix wants to move faster on mobile. It wants to learn what keeps people watching daily.

The goal is simple. Make discovery feel effortless. Reduce friction. Increase time spent inside the app.

This reflects a larger truth. Streaming platforms no longer compete only with each other. They compete with every screen in a user’s pocket.

What will the new experience look like?

The core change is deeper integration of vertical video feeds. Netflix began testing this format in May. The feed shows short clips from movies and shows in a swipeable layout, similar to TikTok or Reels.

During the earnings call, Peters said the format could expand to new content types, including video podcasts. These clips act as previews. They surface moments. They guide users toward full episodes or films.

For Netflix, short-form video is not a side feature. It is becoming a primary discovery layer.

How do video podcasts fit in?

Netflix is entering the video podcast space, an area dominated by YouTube. This week, it launched its first original video podcasts, hosted by figures like Pete Davidson and Michael Irvin. The company has also partnered with Spotify and iHeartMedia to bring existing libraries onto the platform.

These shows fit naturally into a vertical feed. They are conversational, episodic and encourage habitual viewing.

Together, short clips and video podcasts push Netflix toward a more social rhythm. Users no longer open the app only to “watch something.” They open it to browse, swipe, and stay.

The bigger shift in streaming

Co-CEO Ted Sarandos framed the change clearly. Streaming services now compete with the entire entertainment industry.

“TV is now just about everything,” he said, noting that the Oscars and NFL already live on YouTube.

Netflix ended 2025 with $45.2 billion in revenue. Ad revenue crossed $1.5 billion. The platform now has over 325 million paid subscribers.

Yet growth now depends on attention, not access.

In this landscape, Netflix is no longer just a streaming app. It is becoming a daily destination. And the 2026 redesign marks its clearest move yet into the social-first era.