Finding something to watch on your phone is getting a little bit easier. The popular streaming app HBO Max is trying out a brand new way to help you pick your next movie or show. Following a huge trend set by other apps, the platform is adding a vertical video feed called Shorts directly into its mobile menu. This tool gives viewers quick trailers and bonus clips based on what they already like to watch.
The app uses smart tools to pick the best video clips
Instead of making you guess if a show is good, the Shorts feed hands you quick highlights to preview. The company built a special tool to scan thousands of hours of movies and shows. Human editors then use that tool to pull the very best moments into short, easy-to-watch vertical videos.
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If a specific clip catches your eye, you can tap a button to start watching the full movie right away. You can also save it to your personal list for later. The whole goal is to stop the endless scrolling and get you watching faster, a move that rivals like Netflix have also tried.
Select users get to test the mobile feed out right now
Right now, this vertical video feed is not available to everyone. HBO Max is testing the Shorts feature with a small group of people using Apple phones in the United States. If the test goes well, the company plans to push the update out to more devices and other countries soon. They also plan to mix sports highlights into the feed later on.
Alongside these short videos, the platform is also trying out a new chat search tool for Android users. This lets you ask the app to find something specific, like a funny comedy or a good movie for a night in, by just typing it out like a normal text message.
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