Disney+ introduces a vertical video feed called Verts

Disney+ has announced Verts, a new vertical video feed designed to keep mobile users in the app doomscrolling. This is a feature that the company first started talking about a little while back, but now it is starting to rollout to users in the US.

Of course, Disney+ does not frame this as a way to encourage doomscrolling. Rather the company sees it as giving users “a new place on their mobile app to discover stories with Verts, marking the first phase of bringing vertical video content to the platform”.

The company says that the “new dynamic feed on Disney+ helps users quickly find their next favorite watch and is just the start of what will be an ongoing evolution of Verts”. Disney is already pointing to an increase in engagement, based on early trials carried out with Verts.

In an announcement about the launch, Disney says:

First announced at Disney’s 2026 Global Tech & Data Showcase, vertical video on Disney+ opens up an entirely new way for fans to connect with the stories they love. With a tap of the new Verts icon in the navigation bar on mobile, users enter a vertical video feed and can swipe through a stream of scenes and moments from movies and shows on Disney+, and seamlessly add to their Watchlist or jump directly into playback.

With the latest streaming hits and an incredible catalog spanning more than 100 years of storytelling, we’re making it easier for fans to discover what to watch next. Verts offers a fun, fast way to explore that catalog right from the moment users open the app. It brings the magic of Disney’s storytelling into a format that feels modern, engaging, and tailor-made for how fans already enjoy discovering video on mobile devices.

The focus is very much on mobile devices, which makes sense as this is where a vertical feed is more at home. Disney has not said tha tVerts will be coming to the web-based version of its platform, but it has also not rulled it out.

Going on to provide a bit more detail, Disney says:

What kind of user engagement are you seeing with Verts to date?

In both early experiments on Disney+ as well as since launch on ESPN in August, Verts has driven additional engagement.

Much of this can be attributed to our new advanced algorithm that powers the recommendation engine for the experience to ensure that Verts feels uniquely relevant and personalized to each individual user.

What’s next for Verts on Disney+?

This launch is just the beginning — the first scene of the first episode in a multi-season series. What fans see today on Verts was built with user utility and scale in mind. Already, though, the team is exploring and experimenting with ways to expand far beyond content discovery.

Over time, Verts will play a key role in fans’ everyday experience on Disney+. At launch, this includes driving discoverability across Disney’s entertainment catalog, with opportunities in the future to add content from creators that reflects our fandoms, plus other storytelling formats, content types, and personalized experiences.

Are you seeing Verts yet? If so, what do you make of it?