Netflix Testing Major Apple TV App Redesign

Netflix is testing a redesigned version of its TV app, reports The Verge, marking the first major overhaul to the app in the last decade. The new design is a notable departure from the current look, but it is more modern and puts more information about content front and center.

Customers were reportedly performing "eye gymnastics" looking around to different parts of the home screen in an attempt to find a show or movie to watch, so Netflix wanted to simplify the navigation experience. "We really wanted members to have an easier time figuring out if a title is right for them," Netflix senior director of product Pat Flemming told The Verge.

The static tiles for TV shows and movies are being replaced with tiles that extend when the remote lands on them, making information like the trailer and description more centralized. Right now, when scrolling through content, show or movie information is displayed at the top of the screen. With the updated interface, that information is shown in the middle of the display, and tiles for other shows are pushed to the side.

Hovering over a TV show or movie for an extended period of time will cause a short preview to automatically start playing.

Netflix plans to replace the left side navigation menu with a top bar menu that features search, home, shows, movies, and My Netflix, with the menu accessible by pressing the back button on the remote. The current Categories and New and Popular tabs will be removed, but New and Popular will be replaced with the My Netflix recommendations, and Categories will be available from the search tab.

The new design is being tested with a small group of subscribers to begin with, but it will be expanded to additional Netflix users in the coming months if it proves to be a popular change.