Netflix announces live voting and party games to make streaming more interactive

Netflix

Netflix has outlined a series of new product changes aimed at making the service more interactive across screens. The announcements were made by CTO Elizabeth Stone during TechCrunch Disrupt, where she confirmed that live participation features, living-room party games, an immersive homepage and redesigns for kids accounts are now part of the streamer’s roadmap. Netflix is also testing a vertical video feed to help users browse shorter clips on phones.

Live voting to debut with Star Search reboot

The reboot of the competition show “Star Search” will support real-time voting next year. Viewers watching live on TV or mobile will see prompts on screen with limited voting windows. People who watch later will not be able to participate. Netflix plans to expand real-time response features to podcasts once Spotify’s video podcasts roll out on the platform in 2026.

Party games coming to TV

Netflix will introduce “living room party games” later this year, with additional launches planned for 2026. The format allows the show or game to run on TV while participants join sessions using their phones. The experience is similar to Jackbox-style game packs built around trivia, drawing, guessing and timed responses.

Immersive homepage and redesigned kids profiles

Stone said Netflix is testing animated and dynamic homepages tied to themes. A Halloween version is the first release followed by a holiday set and a Bridgerton-themed version under development. Netflix is also rolling out a redesigned kids interface with a simplified layout and a navigation bar that includes a “My Netflix” section for saved, liked and watched titles. Recommendations on kids profiles will adjust in real time.

Vertical video feed tests on mobile

Netflix is experimenting with a scrollable vertical video feed on phones for short “snackable” clips. Stone said the intention is not to mimic TikTok but to shorten decision time for mobile viewers.