Is Netflix becoming social media app?

Netflix has officially confirmed to step into short-form content, adapting the vertical video trend. This confirms the “TikTok-ification” of Netflix as the streaming giant tries to compete with major social platforms for viewer attention.

The news is confirmed by Netflix’s Co-CEO Greg Peters, who stated that this feature has been in testing for months.

Initially, it will showcase Netflix’s own content in vertical form.

In the next phase, the company will expand its feed to include promotional clips for newer content, i.e., video podcasts that launched on the platform this month.

Peters said, “You can imagine us brining more clips based on new content types, like video podcasts.”

This vertical feed is part of a broader mobile interface redesign, described by Peters as a new platform that will “better serve the expansion of our business over the decade to come.”

The update is set slated for a full rollout in late 2026.

However, the strategic pivot has emerged from Netflix's perception of the changing competitive landscape. As the company's co-CEO, Ted Sarandos, has observed, “We have a much more competitive media universe. We have the awards-oriented tech giants. We have social media players like Instagram.

This comes after a strong financial year for Netflix, which reported revenue of $45.2 billion in 2025 and increased its global customer base to 325 million.