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Remember when Netflix introduced its TikTok-style vertical feed to help people stumble across something new to watch? Now, HBO Max wants to make finding your next binge just as effortless.
Warner Bros. is testing a feature called Shorts, bringing a vertical, swipeable feed of movie and TV clips to HBO Max in the US. Instead of scrolling through endless rows of posters and trying to judge a show by its thumbnail, you’ll be able to flip through short iconic scenes, trailers, and bonus content until something catches your attention.
The idea actually makes a lot of sense. Most people don’t discover new content by reading long descriptions anymore. Sometimes all it takes is a funny exchange, an intense action scene, or a dramatic plot twist to convince you to start a new series. That’s exactly what HBO Max is trying to recreate inside its own app.
HBO MaxThe new Shorts tab lives in the app’s bottom navigation bar. If a clip catches your eye, you can jump straight into the full movie or episode without digging through the app to find it.
For now, the feature is only being tested with a limited number of iPhone users in the US, although the company plans to expand it to more devices and regions over time.
Interestingly, those clips aren’t selected entirely by hand. Warner Bros. says it built an in-house AI system that combs through thousands of hours of movies and shows, identifying scenes that are most likely to grab viewers’ attention. Human editors then review those suggestions and decide which moments deserve a place in the Shorts feed.
Like the Shorts feed, this conversational search experience is currently limited to a small group of US users, with a wider rollout planned for additional devices and markets later on.
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