In a bid to get youngsters watching their favorite shows faster, Netflix has redesigned children’s profiles to make them more visually appealing.
When browsing Netflix on a smart TV, the top row of kids’ profiles will now feature a My Favorites row that highlights shows with their characters.
How Have Kids’ Profiles Changed on Netflix?
Previously, children’s profiles on Netflix looked similar to adult’s. The top row would feature trending content, primarily built from Netflix’s original library, customized based on the content rating applied to that profile.
Now, Netflix has redesigned the appearance of the home screen for youngsters. The top row has become My Favorites, which highlights shows that a child has watched at least once.
Instead of being represented by the standard Netflix poster, the tiles on this row have the show’s logo and a large cut-out of one of the characters. For example, Kid Cosmic has the show’s titular character Kid, while Michelle Obama’s Waffles + Mochi has one of the furry blue protagonists.
New profiles won’t see this row at first. Instead, there will be a banner image in its place until enough content has been watched to populate the row. Both Netflix originals and licensed content can appear here.
As is standard Netflix functionality, a trailer will automatically play when you hover over each tile in the My Favorites row. However, this can be disabled in Netflix’s settings if desired.
Speaking to Variety, Michelle Parsons, product manager for kids and family at Netflix said:
We wanted to represent a title in the way that kids most recognize it—through the characters. This is going to be like a kid walking into their own room, where they know where every Lego piece is.
It’s similar to what other streaming services already do. For example, Disney+ groups its content into character and theme collections, while HBO Max highlights content through character icons.
According to Parsons, Netflix tested out the new design last year and the response from children was positive. It makes sense; younger children are more likely to identify their favorite shows through the characters than the logos.
Best Streaming Services for Kids
Netflix understands that many parents are looking for quick ways to keep their kids entertained. Considering many children are capable of navigating streaming services themselves, this Netflix interface change should make it even easier to keep children happy.
The new interface is currently rolling out to smart TVs and will be available on mobile devices in the near future.