Why Netflix is 'TikTok-ifying'—Coming for the 'Daily App' Habit with a Vertical Feed
The reason behind Netflix's decision to 'redesign its app' is that its competitors are no longer just 'other streaming services,' but the 'apps we open every day' themselves, such as YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. The new mobile UI, scheduled for release in late 2026, aims to more deeply integrate a vertical video feed, strengthening the 'discovery to viewing' funnel by starting with short-form clips and video podcasts.
1. What is changing?—A mobile redesign centered on a 'vertical feed'
The keywords Netflix has highlighted are co-CEO Greg Peters' statements about 'building a foundation to support business expansion over the next decade' and 'iterate, test, evolve, and improve.' The design philosophy of not fixing a final form, but instead using the app itself as a 'testing ground,' is at the forefront.
At the center is a vertical swipe feed that users accustomed to TikTok and Reels can use intuitively.Netflix is already experimenting with short-form clips on mobile and will make this the core of its redesign.
2. The goal is before 'viewing time'—Moving 'discovery' toward a social experience
What Netflix is trying to capture is not just the viewing time of the content itself. It is the upstream 'time spent deciding what to watch' and the 'habit of opening the app every day.' Peters suggested that the vertical feed could also lead to clip extensions for 'new content types' like video podcasts.
The key here is to bring the timeline-style 'passive consumption' into Netflix, while ultimately driving traffic to long-form (full-length) content.For example,
Trailers/Highlight clips → Full-length content
Cast interviews (video podcasts) → Related works
This is a move to implement such a 'discovery engine' on mobile.
3. Entering video podcasts—Challenging YouTube's stronghold via a different route
Netflix has also begun to get serious about video podcasts. The structure involves incorporating libraries through partnerships with existing players in addition to their own original programs, and increasing exposure through short-form clips.
3-1. The meaning of the 'We won't become TikTok' declaration
CTO Elizabeth Stone has repeatedly stated that what Netflix is aiming for is not imitation, but 'strengthening mobile-first entertainment discovery.' In other words, the main goal is not to import the 'addictiveness' of social media, but to increase the efficiency of discovery to viewing.
4. The reality shown by the numbers—Ads and scale support the 'daily habit' strategy
This shift is supported by advertising and subscriber scale. According to reports, Netflix is expected to reach approximately $45.2 billion in revenue in 2025, with over $1.5 billion in ad revenue and over 325 million paid subscribers by Q4. As advertising grows, 'daily engagement' becomes critical to increasing inventory (ad impressions).
5. The definition of competition has changed—Sarandos' sense of crisis
co-CEO Ted Sarandos stated, 'Competition is no longer just between streaming services, but all of entertainment,' and further pointed out, 'The boundaries of "TV" are already blurred, and even the Oscars and the NFL are on YouTube.' Netflix's redesign is a UI-level response to this reality.
Netflix's app redesign is not a declaration to make short-form content the 'star,' but a re-arming to reclaim the entrance (discovery) of the mobile era. What will determine success is how smoothly the vertical feed can drive traffic to full-length content, ads, and new content, rather than ending as just 'clip consumption.' After the launch in late 2026, Netflix will use the UI itself as an 'experimental device' to eat into the daily habits held by social media.