Snapchat’s Stories is going all over online and mobile platforms. If you have become familiar about it through Facebook and Instagram, do not be surprised because by April 2018, Netflix’s mobile app will also adopt this feature.
The Mobile Previews will be the newest offering that will keep Netflix app users more glued to the service via their devices. In general, this version of the feature will be more of a homage than a duplication of Snapchat’s style.
Coming to iOS devices in April and eventually to Android gadgets, Mobile Previews is expected to again modify how you use Netflix to keep you entertained. It was first announced during the recent Labs Day, Netflix’s exclusive event wherein various journalists from over 30 countries were invited to the company’s Los Gatos headquarters in California.
Netflix initially introduced Video Previews to its TV interface in 2016. This time, here are some interesting things you should know before you get fully immersed into the upcoming Mobile Previews feature:
1. Personalization and discovery
As Netflix continues to integrate compelling content with new technology, it makes it further easier, faster, and simpler for its users to discover as well as connect with shows or movies they would like. Just like the TV interface, Mobile Previews will make users browse less and watch more at the same time, as they discover more content faster. The videos in the previews would be selected by Netflix based on your personal preferences and your viewing history in your Netflix account.
2. 30-second trailers
Each of the videos showcased in the feature last just up to 30 seconds. You have the option to finish every trailer or swipe forth to move on to see the next. Likewise, you can swipe back to review other videos in the lineup. When you get to see a trailer that you enjoy watching but you currently can’t watch because you are on the go, you can simply add the content to your watchlist by simply tapping the plus (+) mark that you can find at the bottom of the screen.
3. Vertical-video teasers
Mobile Previews is strategically mobile-optimized. That is why the videos are presented vertically for the app’s users to easily and quickly view those, without the need to turn their smartphones. The mobile team of Netflix has worked some time (almost a year) to design and develop this feature with the goal to facilitate a better smartphone experience.
4. Default audio settings
Netflix makes sure that the Mobile Previews will automatically default to the device’s current audio settings. Thus, if your smartphone’s sound is turned on, the videos’ audio will also play when you tap and watch those. The mini-trailers will be in silent mode if the device is set to silent.