Netflix testing out its biggest TV app redesign in 10 years, aiming to boost viewing time

In an effort to combat subscriber churn and increase user engagement, Netflix has begun rolling out its first major television app redesign in a decade. The streaming giant aims to simplify content discovery and reduce decision fatigue, encouraging viewers to spend more time watching rather than browsing.

The redesigned interface features enlarged title cards, reorganised information, and easily digestible insights like a show's "top 10" performance. These changes directly address the "eye gymnastics" observed by Netflix, where users frantically scanned various screen elements before settling on content.

This user experience overhaul comes as Netflix shifts its focus from subscriber growth to engagement metrics. The company plans to stop reporting subscriber numbers next year, instead highlighting viewing time as the primary indicator of customer satisfaction and platform stickiness.

Additional changes include relocating the menu button to the top of the screen and introducing a new "My Netflix" tab, consolidating a user's watchlist and in-progress content.

The redesigned interface is currently being tested with a select group of users, with a wider rollout planned based on feedback.

Shares of Netflix, which have risen 38% this year, were down about 0.5% to $647.49 in afternoon trading on Nasdaq.