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Portrait mode trailers coming to Netflix Android app soon
- Netflix mobile previews are vertically aligned trailers akin to Instagram Stories.
- The feature is out now for iOS users and “coming soon” to Android users.
- Netflix hopes this will help you find new content faster.
Netflix announced on its blog today that it is rolling out what it calls mobile previews to its mobile app. The feature is available now for iOS users and “coming soon” to Android devices.
Mobile previews operate in much the same way that video previews work in the television app, which rolled out last year. On your television, while you are browsing through the choices on screen, a video trailer for the movie or show you have highlighted plays automatically.
With mobile previews on your phone, you’ll select a preview for a movie or show, and a 30-second trailer will begin. The trailers are all organized like a slideshow, so if you don’t like the trailer currently playing, you can swipe it away and the next mobile preview will begin. There’s a button during the trailer that you can tap that will add the movie or show to your list, if the trailer keeps you intrigued.
Notably, the trailers are all presented in a vertical aspect ratio, so you don’t have to turn your phone into landscape mode to watch the previews.
The whole system seems remarkably similar to Snapchat and Instagram stories. It’s just that instead of content created by your friends, you’re swiping through trailers for Netflix content.
According to the Netflix blog post, mobile previews load “very quickly” and are catered to your personal tastes, just like the suggested content Netflix is always pushing you towards. The company hopes that this new way to consume media will lead you to watch more Netflix than you’re already watching, which let’s be honest is probably way too much.
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