Some iOS users are reporting seeing new features in the Netflix app on their devices. Users are seeing a new, unobtrusive volume indicator and a control that allows jumping forward or backward in a video via a quick double-tap on the screen.
As spotted by Redditor mm2nam, the update brings Netflix’s video controls closer to those of YouTube on iOS, which lets users double tap on the right edge of the screen to fast forward 10 seconds and on the left side to rewind 10 seconds. Netflix’s implementation includes the double tap gesture, as well as physical buttons on the screen that appear after you tap once on the video to bring up the playback controls.
Controls similar to this have become popular in many video streaming apps. The fast forward and backward jump feature is similar to the gestures used on the Apple TV’s Siri Remote with compatible streaming apps to jump forward and backward in video.
In regards to the volume indicator, Netflix currently has a bit of an unclear method for this piece of UI: some users lack an indicator completely, while others still see Apple’s large, semi-translucent square that blocks most of the video every time the volume is toggled. It appears that along with the new 10-second playback gestures, Netflix is also planning to release a unified and unobtrusive volume indicator, which sits at the top of the screen, similar to YouTube and Instagram.
It isn’t clear how soon these new features will rollout to all iOS devices, or even if it ever will. (We haven’t seen it yet on our iOS devices.) Not everyone is seeing this, indicating that Netflix is either quietly testing the features, or is slowly rolling the features out to users over time. Stay tuned.
