Netflix is starting a new feature called mobile previews. Inspired by Instagram and Snapchat’s version of stories, mobile preview will show you a preview of shows and movies on the subscription service.
The duration of one clip would be 30 seconds, and the videos will play vertically, so you don’t have to flip your phone to watch these videos. The previews would appear at the top of the screen once you launch the app, and they look like circles you tap on to start the preview. Netflix explained that these clips are known as “slideshows,” and if you like something you see, you can add them to your list or watch them immediately.
“Years of testing has made it clear that video previews help our members browse less and discover new content more quickly,” Cameron Johnson, Netflix’s Director of Product Innovation, said in a statement.
To skip, you can just swipe or tap the screen to see the next preview. The layout of most of the features of mobile previews are similar to the stories features of Instagram, such as the progress bar displayed at the top and the extra blocks which show that there are more videos within the set.
“One of the best ways to know if you’ll like a new series or movie is to watch a quick trailer,” Cameron Johnson, Netflix director of product innovation, wrote in a blog post announcing the feature launch. “With the launch of mobile previews, we are bringing a video browse experience to your mobile phone in a fun and mobile-optimized way.”
This feature appears to be live in the US, however it isn’t yet available for The Verge staffers in Europe. Netflix introduced video previews for its TV interface last year, and the mobile previews are tailored according to the user’s taste. For now, mobile previews is up and running for iOS apps, and Android will be introduced soon.
According to Netflix’s Johnson, the company has compiled years of data clearly showing that “video previews help our members browse less and discover new content more quickly.”
