Netflix bringing vertical video previews to iPhone app in April

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in iPhone
Starting next month, people using Netflix's mobile apps will be able to watch video previews for the first time -- and displayed in a vertical format, so they don't need to rotate their iPhones.




Unlike the set-top version of Netflix, which plays video automatically as users scroll through titles, the upcoming mobile system includes a special "Previews" carousel with round icons, Variety noted. The format is similar to Snapchat/Facebook/Instagram Stories, and tapping an icon will launch a trailer specially cropped for the vertical format.

Each trailer is fullscreen, but with an overlaid title and interface elements. The effect is even more pronounced on devices with an edge-to-edge display like the iPhone X.





While only about 20 percent of Netflix's movie and show streaming happens on mobile, over 50 percent of subscribers are said to use the mobile apps on a monthly basis. This may suggest that a lot of people are using mobile to find and queue videos, but saving actual viewing for when they sit down at home.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 12
    randominternetpersonrandominternetperson Posts: 3,089member
    I get that "mobile" means phones and tablets, but it's a little misleading in this context.  I expect that laptop (which I think of as mobile devices) represent a huge share of Netflix streaming.
  • Reply 2 of 12
    GETCARTERcaGETCARTERca Posts: 8unconfirmed, member
    VVS - Vertical Video Syndrome
    seanismorrisStrangeDays
  • Reply 3 of 12
    mavemufcmavemufc Posts: 326member
    You got it right with the last sentence in that article, I use the Netflix app on my phone to find new shows or movies, add them to my list and then watch them once I get home, sure many others do the same.
  • Reply 4 of 12
    seanismorrisseanismorris Posts: 1,624member
    GETCARTERca said:
    VVS - Vertical Video Syndrome
    So true!
  • Reply 5 of 12
    zroger73zroger73 Posts: 787member
    GRRR. I HATE video previews. So much so that I've resorted to using my Apple TV 3's for Netflix. It's the sound that bothers me most.

    Netflix should allow this annoying and bandwidth-wasting feature to be disabled.
    retrogustoStrangeDayslolliver
  • Reply 6 of 12
    6toecat6toecat Posts: 51member
    We hate the Netflix video previews on Apple TV and wish they could be disabled. This is a bad move in my opinion.
    edited March 2018 zroger73lolliverwatto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 12
    CheeseFreezeCheeseFreeze Posts: 1,249member
    What I hate about the Apple TV Netflix app is that the top header takes so much space that the actual thumb navigation only has a little bit of space left. It feels claustrophobic and there is no sense of true 'overview'.

    The TV has a landscape format, so why not design from left-to-right instead top-to-bottom?
    StrangeDayszroger73lolliver
  • Reply 8 of 12
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,877member
    Innovation!

    ...now if only one day they’d make it so a single-profile user doesn’t have to constantly tell the ATV app which profile to use (uh, the only one available, dur dur). Until then it’s still amateur hour at netflix. Basic UX failure. 
    randominternetpersonwatto_cobra
  • Reply 9 of 12
    maclvr03maclvr03 Posts: 198member
    I wish they would update the Apple TV App to go to a grid view to see my queue. I cannot stand scrolling side to side. Much prefer the grid style on my old Apple TV
    StrangeDays
  • Reply 10 of 12
    douglas baileydouglas bailey Posts: 306member
    I also don't want auto-preview on AppleTV while I'm trying to read the blurb.
    And I really need Netflix to allow me to remove things from my 'Continue Watching' list without me having to log into the web and entirely remove the show from my viewing history. 

    How can they be so bad at UX?
    lolliverwatto_cobra
  • Reply 11 of 12
    CheeseFreezeCheeseFreeze Posts: 1,249member
    ihateregistering said:
    NetFlix has lost their way.  I paid money to watch movies.  Now they have hardly any movies.  I don't want to get involved in their TV show dramas.
    They haven’t los their way. You’re simply one little segment of their entire user base. Everything they produce and decide is based on incredibly detailed user analytics. They are serving what their customers are looking for.
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