LOS GATOS, Calif., April 17, 2026, 11:36 AM PDT.
Netflix plans to launch its revamped mobile app before April is out, the company said Thursday. The update introduces a vertical video discovery feed and expands generative AI features across recommendations and creator tools. With the redesign, Netflix pushes the social video look further into its mobile platform.
The change is coming into focus as Netflix pushes deeper into advertising, live events, video podcasts, and games—all aimed at capturing more mobile screen time. In its shareholder letter, the company pointed to a convergence between TV and mobile viewing. Reuters noted that investors, with the business maturing and competition still fierce, are hunting for new engines of growth.
Netflix says the redesign is meant to align more closely with its broader entertainment push, aiming to let members dive in on their own terms. The company also pointed out that video podcasts are seeing strong traction on mobile devices—a key factor behind the timing of this update for phones.
Netflix plans to deploy generative AI—software capable of creating or sorting content—to sharpen its recommendation engine by gaining a richer grasp of its catalog. The company is also experimenting with conversational discovery, letting users articulate what they’re after in straightforward language, and it aims to ramp up the quality of its promotional assets. “Tremendous room to make it better,” Co-CEO Greg Peters said, referencing the company’s continuing push on personalization.
Co-CEO Ted Sarandos said those tools could extend to production as well, noting, “AI will give those artists better tools.” Back in March, Netflix announced it had acquired InterPositive, the filmmaking technology startup founded by Ben Affleck, aiming to boost those capabilities for creators. TechCrunch
No surprise here—Peters flagged the move back in January, framing the updated mobile interface as key to “better serve the expansion of our business over the decade to come.” Netflix was already tinkering with a vertical video feed, offering up clips from its lineup. In last year’s wider test, viewers could tap a clip to jump straight into the title, save it, or send it along to someone else. The Verge
Other streaming services are heading down a similar path. Back in March, Disney announced its Verts feed for Disney+, which allows U.S. subscribers to swipe between scenes and moments, throw titles onto a watchlist, or dive straight into playback. NBCUniversal, for its part, plans to roll out a vertical video section on Peacock later this summer and will experiment with AI-powered live NBA viewing in a 9:16, phone-friendly format.
With markets choppy, Netflix reported first-quarter revenue up 16% to $12.25 billion. The company still expects its ad business to hit $3 billion this year. But the stock tumbled more than 10% early Friday, Reuters noted, following a weaker quarterly outlook and word that co-founder Reed Hastings will exit the board in June.
It’s a risk. Just because the app is faster and built for quick swipes doesn’t guarantee more viewers sitting through full episodes—or a jump in ad revenue. eMarketer’s Ross Benes pointed out to Reuters that Netflix now faces the task of expanding beyond just subscriptions. Matthew Dolgin at Morningstar added that raising prices again and again won’t carry the business forever.
Even so, there are voices on Wall Street betting the phone refresh may offer more than just a sleeker look. Needham’s Laura Martin, in a recent note, flagged vertical video, video podcasts, and kids games as potential levers for Netflix to push prices higher and cut down on churn. “Monetization follows time spent,” she wrote. Benzinga
