Disney+ is about to get a big app redesign as it becomes the unified hub not only for Disney+ content but also titles from Hulu and ESPN. Here are the details on what’s new.
Disney+ design updates coincide with Hulu becoming global brand
Today Disney announced that Hulu is about to go global, with the brand replacing the company’s current ‘Star’ international branding around the world.
In the announcement press release, Disney also revealed a redesign of the unified Disney+ app that’s coming soon. Many of the details center on the tvOS version, but will be adapted for iOS too.
There’s now a new navigation bar at the top of the screen. It includes a “For You” tab, which is now the home screen for content recommendations and opportunities to continue watching where you left off. It’s very similar to what Apple’s TV app has long offered, and Netflix’s recent redesign added.
Inside this navigation bar are dedicated tabs for Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN. In a nice touch, Disney says you’ll only see tabs that correspond with your current subscription. But Disney’s bundles have proven very popular, so it’s great to have a prominent place to browse each service’s catalog separately.
‘Live’ is a new tab inside the vertical navigation menu, so you can jump straight into 24/7 streams and live TV for a more traditional TV experience.
Profiles will be featured more prominently in the app, so you always know that you’re using the right profile. This will be especially important because Disney says it has upgraded its “personalized video algorithm” to improve content recommendations.
Other changes coming include:
- new badging tags like “Season Finale,” “New Series,” and “New Movie” for content
- cinematic-style poster artwork for titles, like Apple’s TV app recently added
- video display inside the Hero carousel
- a dynamic brand row that shows recent titles from those brands
- and widgets are coming to iOS as a way to jump into content more quickly
Finally, Disney notes that in the coming year it will be “introducing mobile-first and mobile-exclusive experiences” but there are no details on that front.
How does the Disney+ app redesign sound to you? Let us know in the comments.
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