Netflix’s new interface borrows a page from Google Play Movies & TV

If you turn on Netflix tonight and you notice that the interface looks like Google Play Movies & TV, don’t worry, you aren’t in an episode of Black Mirror or, worse, mistakenly entered the world of the Upside Down - Netflix has gotten a face lift.

The change in the user interface is part of a small update coming to all Netflix apps on TV platforms. The change adds a new sidebar that organizes content into a few different categories and uses larger tiles for each of its marquee shows.

If the former looks familiar, it’s because it’s a similar layout to other streaming services including the old Amazon Fire TV UI and Google Play Movies & TV.

The difference between Netflix’s new look and the other streaming services is that Netflix’s categories consist of series, movies, search, my list and new - the latter of which showing you the newest arrivals to the Netflix catalog.

According to Netflix, the purpose of the redesign is to make browsing and searching easier and faster. Previously, you’d have to scroll all the way to the top of the interface to search, and there was no good way to separate films from TV series.

Both of those areas will be improved with this new UI.

Vox Populi

“Our research has shown us that while a member generally isn’t sure what exact title they want to watch, they have a pretty good sense of whether they are in the mood for a quick series episode or a longer movie experience,” Netflix’s Stephen Garcia, Director, Product Innovation, wrote on a blog post describing the update.

"This new design is one of many improvements we will be rolling out over the coming months," Garcia said. "Along those lines, we will continuously learn from our members and evolve the TV experience so that it gets even more simple, fun and easy to find the stories that make Netflix great."

As to the other updates coming our way, well, we'll just have to wait to find out.