Netflix is getting a new look in Google TV with a UI change beyond modern aesthetics. The new design advertises an easier browsing experience with suggestions that act more like surge recommendations for your current mood. How Netflix knows your mood is up in the air.
The company announced that a big UI change would be coming in the following “weeks and months” that offers a new, more refined experience for users. Netflix is no stranger to UI changes, though it’s been some time since the streaming giant has changed how it offers TV shows and movies to users globally. The old design still feels modern, but Netflix seems to be ready to switch things up.
The Netflix change on Google TV and other OS platforms emphasizes a new carousel design that expands on show details more easily. The old look offered an expanded view if the user hovered over it for some time. This new design also looks a little less cluttered since less shows are being displayed at one time, and it will likely lend itself to browsing hundreds of shows in record time easier.
The company may be using the change to Trojan horse new AI adjustments that respond more readily to your watching habits, offering more to binge as it becomes available. According to Netflix, the recommendations found on the homepage would be “more responsive to your moods and interests in the moment.” This seems to indicate that Netflix is, in part, pushing a heavier emphasis on AI in the backend so that users will get shows and movies that are a little more exciting in the moment.
Truthfully, Netflix has seemed to have offered less compelling offerings since the last major UI overhaul hit platforms like Google TV. The new update may inject some life into the app across Google TV and other platforms.
That change is accentuated by the new menu layout. Rather than across the left side of the screen, the new category buttons will be strewn across the top. The icons are gone, and categories like Home, Shows, and Movies will be seen at the top of the screen.
Netflix for Android and iOS is also getting a bit of a revamp. The new version will house a different search experience. Netflix explicitly mentions generative AI when detailing the new search, though it seems it will first be in beta on iOS. With that, a new experimental vertical card feed will be tested for mobile users, mirroring what social media and YouTube offer in Shorts.
Netflix noted that this update will be coming to users in the following weeks and months, which indicates that it may take some time to show up on your Google TV devices or Android phones.
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