Netflix is gearing up for a major mobile app redesign as it looks to compete with social platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube for daily engagement.
During its fourth-quarter earnings call, the streaming giant revealed plans to revamp its mobile experience and expand its short-form video feature, a move that will also help highlight its new slate of original video podcasts launched last week. The updated app is expected to roll out later in 2026.
The redesign is intended to “better serve the expansion of our business over the decade to come,” according to co-CEO Greg Peters. Netflix plans to use the new mobile platform as a testing ground for ongoing innovation, allowing it to “iterate, test, evolve, and improve” its features over time.
At the heart of the redesign is a deeper integration of vertical video feeds, a format the company has been experimenting with since May. These feeds display short clips from Netflix shows and movies in a swipeable format familiar to TikTok and Instagram Reels users.
“You can imagine us bringing more clips based on new content types, like video podcasts,” Peters said during the earnings call. Netflix recently debuted its first original video podcasts, featuring high-profile hosts like Pete Davidson and Michael Irvin.
The company is also partnering with major podcast platforms, including Spotify and iHeartMedia, to bring established video podcast libraries to Netflix. These moves reflect Netflix’s strategy to make content discovery more engaging and social-like, encouraging users to spend more time in the app.
Emmanuel Umahi
Netflix has been careful to frame these updates as experimentation rather than imitation. CTO Elizabeth Stone emphasised at the TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 conference that the goal is not to become TikTok but to strengthen entertainment discovery through mobile-first features. The approach reflects a broader shift in the streaming industry, where platforms are competing not just with each other but with all forms of entertainment.
“There’s never been more competition for creators, for consumer attention, for advertising and subscription dollars,” co-CEO Ted Sarandos said. “TV is not what we grew up on. TV is now just about everything. The Oscars and the NFL are on YouTube…Apple’s competing for Emmys and Oscars, and Instagram is coming next.”
Netflix is also evolving its film strategy, exploring hybrid release models that bridge cinema, streaming, and social content. This comes as the company prepares to acquire Warner Bros., signalling a willingness to rethink traditional theatrical distribution in an era where entertainment consumption spans multiple platforms.
Financially, Netflix ended 2025 strong, generating $45.2 billion in revenue, with ad revenue topping $1.5 billion. The company also surpassed 325 million paid subscribers in the fourth quarter, underscoring the scale of its global reach as it embraces a more social, mobile-first strategy.
Emmanuel Umahi
