.
Image: REUTERS/Claudia Greco/File Photo
Netflix is evolving, and it’s doing so in ways that go far beyond simply adding new titles to its catalogue.
The world’s largest streaming service is rolling out a major mobile redesign that signals a deeper shift in how the company thinks about design, engagement and brand experience.
At its core, the overhaul moves Netflix away from a traditional catalogue-centric layout and toward an interface optimised for mobile-first behaviours shaped by social media platforms.
Vertical, short-form clips, similar to the reels and shorts now ubiquitous across TikTok and Instagram, will take centre stage, encouraging discovery in bite-sized moments.
“Really, this is part of a broader upgrade of our mobile experience,” Netflix executives said during a recent earnings call, noting that the updated UI is designed to support the company’s ambitions for the next decade.
The move toward vertical video is not just about copying trends, it reflects deep changes in how users interact with screens.
Today’s mobile audiences expect swipeable, instantly consumable content, and Netflix’s redesign aligns its interface with those habits, making content discovery feel more spontaneous and intuitive.
But this redesign also roots itself in brand evolution.
Netflix began as a DVD-by-mail service in the late 1990s, later transforming into a streaming pioneer with a clean, iconic interface built around long-form storytelling.
Over the years, subtle but strategic brand tuning, from logo refinements to interface experiments has helped Netflix stay relevant.
Now, the platform’s identity is widening. The bold embrace of reels-style content, alongside initiatives in cloud gaming, video podcasts and live sports, underscores an appetite to be more than a catalogue. It’s about becoming a central entertainment ecosystem that adapts to how people naturally interact with digital media.
This redesign follows a series of interface experiments on both TV and mobile, including a revamped TV UI and earlier “Fast Laughs” style feeds. Netflix’s product teams are treating the UI itself as a strategic platform, a canvas capable of evolving through iterative design rather than static layouts.
From a brand perspective, this signals Netflix’s acceptance that how content is presented matters as much as what is offered.
The updated UX aims to leverage responsive recommendations, smarter navigation and immersive visuals, making interactions feel smoother and more personal, a hallmark of contemporary design innovation.
In a crowded media landscape where attention is currency, Netflix’s evolving UI isn’t just a facelift, it’s a rebranding through behaviour and experience.
By embracing mobile design trends while keeping its original long-form DNA intact, the company is building a platform ready for today’s audiences and tomorrow’s possibilities.
FAST COMPANY (SA)