Netflix has had a bumpy year. From bowing out of the Warner Bros. Discovery acquisition to falling stock prices, along with massive layoffs, it looks like change is the theme for the megastreamer in 2026. The company is beholden to Silicon Valley’s obsession with growth metrics, which means that even if it grows and remains profitable, that may not satisfy some observers. As the Nielsen reports showed last week, Netflix is getting trounced by YouTube. So, what’s next?
Along with the executive and staffing shake-up currently in motion at Netflix, more tweaks are coming for the company that users will soon notice on their screens and devices. The current view on our apps was tested in 2024 and released in May 2025, which came with quick criticism over usability and a desire to return to the old version that allowed users to see more options at any given time. Netflix will soon unveil a new look once again.
Last year’s change moved the left-hand menu to the top bar, making room for tiles that expand when highlighted. Netflix is keeping the tiles, background colors, as well as the My Netflix hub. As you can see in the video above, navigation will be a bit more intuitive. In addition, Netflix’s tested left‑hand navigation aims to reduce the number of clicks required to return to the main menu.
Another test is Netflix’s AI Discover, which will allow viewers to pick something to watch when they can’t decide. We’ve all been there, scrolling through insurmountable options as analysis paralysis sets in. While views on AI vary across the board, finding ways to help people get out of a doom scroll is admirable. AI Discover will work by letting users pick a theme, then a vibe, while incorporating your recent watch history.
In an official statement, Netflix said that the company is “trying out new recipes for discovery, and your use and feedback help us decide which ones to keep, improve, or serve up next. Some may even make their way into the main Netflix experience.” The goal is to make the AI tool be as user-friendly as possible. Of course, platform system changes must also be coupled with desirable programming, or it will all be for naught.
“Tell us what you’re after, and the experience adjusts,” Netflix continues, “Tell us a recommendation isn’t for you, and we’ll remember it in AI Discover, so it won’t keep turning up. AI Discover is powered by a new intelligence layer we’ve been building that responds to what members tell us in real time and keeps learning.” In this sense, Netflix appears as if it will be operating much more like a Google search on the web, offering us both choices and suggestions or advice.
Netflix AI Discover tools per Variety:
- Pick from a range of themes, each previewed with a clip from a show or movie. Some match a mood (“Something Light,” “Scare Me”), an intended audience (“Family Movie Night”) or how much time you have (“Quick Watches”). Others might reflect what’s new or popular, or what you’ve been watching lately.
- The app displays an array of matching movie or TV show recommendations.
- You can then pick from more specific themes to continue searching; or you can select “Something Different” for a fresh set.
- Every title has a “Tune Your Recommendations” button, right next to “Play” and “My List.” Use it to keep a recommendation, or to ask Netflix to not recommend something again.
