Revamped Netflix Television Application Undergoes Beta Testing

Netflix is now testing an updated TV app with a new layout and easier access to content information. The new design is still a small-scale test, but it could roll out to everyone if there are no major issues.

The current Netflix layout on TV has rows of static tiles for movies and TV shows, with a section at the top that displays information for whatever is currently selected (usually including a trailer clip). Netflix is testing a new design that removes that top section, and just expands whatever item is selected to display an inline preview and important information. It’s a bit more like YouTube’s current design, which starts playing a video when you scroll over it.

Netflix told The Verge, “We often see members doing gymnastics with their eyes as they’re scanning the home experience. We really wanted members to have an easier time figuring out if a title is right for them.”

Netflix / The Verge

The updated layout also removes the menu on the left side of Netflix’s homepage. The options in that menu have been consolidated into a few buttons at the top: search, home, shows, movies, and “My Netflix.” Pressing the back button on the TV remote will take you directly to the menu, so you don’t have to scroll all the way to the top.

Other streaming services have redesigned their TV applications recently, with the same goals of better organization and easier navigation. Prime Video rolled out a new TV app in 2022 , moving the top navigation tabs to the left side, and Hulu released a new TV app in 2023 with the same design change. Netflix switching away from left-side navigation is reversing that trend, and it will be interesting to see if competitors eventually follow that lead.

The redesign could be changed further before rolling out to everyone, or if it goes poorly with a wider audience, Netflix could roll it back entirely. The company told The Verge, “Think of this as a first effort, our best initial swing, at what we think is a great new TV experience.”

Netflix is currently testing the design with a small group of subscribers using smart TVs and other streaming devices.

Source: The Verge

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