Netflix is rolling out a heap of new changes to its online web app, mobile app, and overall viewing experiences in the coming weeks and months. The big idea behind most of it is user interaction; no longer will we passively engage with what’s on our screens. At least, if Netflix has anything to do with it.
Speaking at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, Netflix CTO Elizabeth Stone laid the streaming giant’s next set of huge updates bare, and this time, there is a lot to take in.
The Netflix homepage is being overhauled
It’s time for the glow-up we’ve all been waiting for
Netflix’s top-to-bottom changes start from the place we visit most: the homepage. The streaming service’s relatively mundane frontpage will become home to immersive experiences with dynamic backgrounds, animations, and seasonal themes — starting with a Halloween rollout, followed by festive December effects and even branded experiences (like a Bridgerton theme).
It’s a ploy to make the Netflix homepage feel more alive and like a place you’re not just transiting through; it’s visual engagement designed to hook us in. Though it has to be said, the homepage is literally the portal to the actual product, so it will never escape that feeling. At least Netflix is trying something different.
Netflix is attempting real-time voting to bring shows to life
Move over Bandersnatch, we’re bringing the real Black Mirror to life
Netflix will begin experimenting with voting in live content, allowing viewers to choose what they want to watch in real time. Its new interactive voting feature will premiere in Star Search, the talent competition Netflix is reviving after a 20-year hiatus.
Speaking at TechCrunch’s Disrupt 2025 event, Netflix CTO Elizabeth Stone explained that when “You’re sitting at home watching ‘Star Search’ on your TV, you’ll be able to either on the TV or your mobile phone actually put in a vote that advances or doesn’t advance some of the contestants on the show.”
“It’s just a very early starting example of the ways that we think content can be more interactive over time, across devices, between TV and mobile, where a member who subscribes to Netflix can actually feel like they’re part of the story, influence the storyline, and feel immersed in that.”
It’s a clever move. For years, Netflix has dabbled in branching storytelling (Bandersnatch, Kaleidoscope), but live voting pushes that idea into shared, time-sensitive territory. You are now part of the show, shaping the outcome of your viewing experience, and potentially the lives of the people you’re watching.
According to What’s on Netflix, the streaming service has been experimenting and testing this feature since at least August 2025, readying itself for a launch in the fall. What’s on Netflix also spotted a new Netflix Help page detailing information on live voting, suggesting a full launch could be imminent. However, with Star Search not officially meant to launch until 2026, it could be that we see the new live voting tech elsewhere before then.
A version of the tech aired during Netflix’s Dinner Time Live With David Chang stream, allowing viewers on both mobile and smart TVs to vote and rate things throughout the show, such as whether tuna fish is better than a grilled cheese. And given that tuna won, we have to wonder what the world is coming to and consider the darkness we’re accidentally ushering in.
Netflix wants to be your next game night
More games, more fun
I’ve not really been the biggest participant in Netflix’s push into gaming. I’ve dabbled here and there, but mostly, it’s a miss. However, its new strategy has caught my eye, with Stone also revealing the introduction of “living room party games.”
That means more family- or group-friendly gaming sessions with everyone getting in on the fun, rather than solo gaming. A Netflix blog also confirmed some of the first titles coming to make our living rooms a party place:
- LEGO® Party!
- Boggle Party
- Pictionary: Game Night
- Tetris Time Warp
- Party Crashers: Fool Your Friends
This first batch of games will be available “this holiday season,” though there is no specific launch date as yet.
Kids profile revamps and “snackable” streaming
I like snacks
Rounding up Netflix’s deluge of announcements is another overhaul, but this time, it’s kids’ profiles.
The redesigned profiles will feature a new, simplified navigation bar, faster recommendation updates, and a dedicated kids “My Netflix” hub. The whole thing is designed to make it easier (and safer) for kids to find what they actually want to watch without endless browsing. The update also lays the groundwork for interactive features to appear in kids’ content later on.
And as a parent, anything that means less time arguing over which episode to watch is already a win.
Finally, CTO Stone also revealed that Netflix will experiment with vertical video, hoping to make certain types of content on Netflix “more snackable.” Now, I’m not sure the world needs yet more dopamine-soaked shorts, but let’s face it: as everyone else is doing it, Netflix is going to join the party. RIP our already horrendously damaged attention spans.
