HBO Max is testing TikTok-style Shorts feeds

Warner Bros. has announced the introduction of a TikTok-style vertical video feed and an AI-powered conversational search system on HBO Max, one of the leading streaming services on the planet, to make it easier for users to find engaging content. This new feature is expected to help viewers quickly find projects that suit them among thousands of movies and TV shows. This is reported by Techcrunch.com reports .

According to ixbt.com, today most streaming services are revising their search mechanisms to sort content in extensive libraries and based on the fact that viewers have become accustomed to short videos on platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels. The new features provide audiences with more convenient and flexible ways to use the platform's capabilities.

Shorts and AI-powered search

The new "Shorts" icon, which appears in the bottom navigation menu of the HBO Max app, opens a vertical video feed consisting of trailers, interesting snippets, and bonus materials. According to the company, these are individually tailored based on the user's personal taste and viewing history. If a user likes the shown clip, they can immediately start watching the full TV show or movie or save it to a list for later viewing.

Additionally, a special AI tool has been developed to select the best scenes for video feeds, analyzing thousands of hours of video material based on scene-level metadata. Afterwards, HBO Max editors give final approval to the clips that best showcase the streaming service's rich library.

Market trends and testing process

With this update, HBO Max joins other popular streaming services like Netflix, Disney+, and Peacock, which have used vertical video feeds to showcase snippets from their libraries. According to Warner Bros., the new vertical feed is initially being tested among select iOS users in the US and will only then be gradually rolled out to other devices and markets.

Another innovation joining the platform is AI-powered conversational search, which interprets queries through natural language understanding technology and recommends relevant movies and TV shows. For example, users can easily find suitable recommendations using free-form phrases such as "I want to watch a comedy," "a turbulent family drama," or "the best movie for a girls' night out."

Notably, Netflix launched a similar AI-powered search experience for its users last year. Amazon also features an AI voice search on Fire TV devices that responds to open-ended queries about TV shows and movies. HBO Max's experimental feature is currently available to selected Android users in the US, with plans to expand it to a wider range of devices and regions soon.