Netflix is ​​redesigning its app as it competes with social media platforms for everyday engagement

As YouTube, TikTok and Instagram continue to dominate mobile viewing, Netflix is ​​rethinking how its app fits into the social video-first landscape. During its fourth-quarter earnings call on Tuesday, the company announced plans to revamp its mobile app and expand its short-form video feature, which it said could help promote the new slate of original audio video files it unveiled last week.

The redesigned Netflix mobile app is scheduled to launch later in 2026, and aims to “better serve the expansion of our business over the next decade,” according to co-CEO Greg Peters. The update will serve as a foundation for ongoing experimentation, allowing the company to “iterate, test, evolve and improve” its offerings over time.

At the heart of the redesign is deeper integration of vertical video feeds, which the streaming giant has been experimenting with since May. The feed displays short clips of Netflix shows and movies in a format familiar to TikTok and Instagram Reels users.

“You can imagine us bringing in more clips based on new content types, like audio and video,” Peters said during the earnings call, which also indicates that Netflix sees short, scrollable clips as a powerful tool to grab attention and increase time spent in the app.

Netflix is ​​also making a big push into video podcasting — a sector in which YouTube has long been a leader. Netflix this week launched its first original video podcasts, including shows hosted by notable figures like Pete Davidson and Michael Irvin. The company has also partnered with major podcast players to bring existing video podcast libraries to the platform, including tie-ups with Spotify and iHeartMedia.

Both of these moves point to a broader effort to make everyday content discovery and sharing on Netflix feel more like a social platform experience. At the same time, Netflix was keen to base its strategy on experimentation, not imitation. Speaking at the TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 conference, CTO Elizabeth Stone emphasized that the company is not trying to become TikTok, but rather enhancing its capabilities to discover entertainment through mobile-first features.

During the earnings call, co-CEO Ted Sarandos talked about the broader shift in the streaming industry: services are no longer competing just with each other, but with the entire entertainment industry.

“There has never been more competition for creators, for consumer attention, for advertising and subscription dollars, and the competitive lines around TV consumption have really blurred,” Sarandos said. “TV is not what we grew up on. TV now is pretty much everything. The Oscars and the NFL are on YouTube…Apple is competing for the Emmys and the Oscars, and Instagram is next.”

Sarandos also commented on Netflix’s evolving film strategy, noting the company’s recent shift in its theatrical release strategy as it prepares to acquire Warner Bros. Television. This signals an openness to hybrid distribution models, as the line between cinema, streaming and social content continues to blur.

In 2025, Netflix generated revenue of $45.2 billion, with advertising revenue rising to more than $1.5 billion. Additionally, Netflix surpassed 325 million paid subscriptions in the fourth quarter.