Netflix launches ‘Clips,’ a TikTok-style vertical video feed
▼ Summary
– Netflix is introducing “Clips,” a vertical video feed in its mobile app designed to help users discover content through short highlights of original programming.
– The feature aims to provide a personalized highlight reel, allowing users to quickly find shows or films without endless scrolling.
– Netflix previously experimented with a similar short-form video feature called “Fast Laughs” in 2021.
– The rise of vertical video is evident across platforms, including LinkedIn, and the microdrama industry is gaining traction in the U.S.
– Other streamers like Peacock and Tubi are also adding vertical video experiences, but Netflix states it is not trying to compete directly with TikTok.
Netflix is giving its mobile app a major refresh with the launch of Clips, a vertical video feed designed to help subscribers discover shows and films through short, curated highlights. Think of it as a smarter, more personalized way to browse without the usual endless scrolling.
“Clips is a personalized highlight reel that helps you decide what to watch or play next,” Netflix explained in a recent announcement. “You’ll see short clips from series, films and specials tailored to your tastes, with an easy way to go deeper when something grabs your attention.”
The logic behind the feature is straightforward: when you’re on the go, you probably aren’t going to pull out your phone to watch the next three minutes of a Love is Blind episode. But you might pause for a quick, funny clip from another show. Netflix actually tested a similar concept called Fast Laughs back in 2021, and Clips appears to be the matured version of that experiment.
A few years ago, the rush to copy TikTok felt eye-roll worthy. Now, even LinkedIn has embraced vertical video. It’s clear that short-form, vertical content isn’t a passing trend , it’s become a permanent fixture in how we consume media.
Netflix has spent years tinkering with short-form video, and Clips seems to be the final form of that effort. But the shift isn’t limited to social feeds. The microdrama industry , bite-sized episodic series, typically under 10 minutes per episode, designed for phone screens , is gaining serious traction in the U. S. after first exploding in Asia. That trend is making audiences more comfortable watching serialized stories in vertical formats.
Other streaming platforms are taking notice. Both Peacock and Tubi are adding vertical video experiences to their mobile apps, signaling a broader industry pivot.
At TechCrunch Disrupt last October, Netflix’s Chief Product and Technology Officer Elizabeth Stone addressed the company’s approach to vertical video. She made it clear that Netflix isn’t trying to compete head-on with TikTok.
“Netflix is not intending to copy or chase exactly what a TikTok or others are doing,” Stone said. “We think there’s a certain type of entertainment , or moment of truth , that’s especially valuable to our members, and we really want to be focused there, versus trying to be all things at every moment.”
(Source: TechCrunch)
