Upcoming Hulu App Interface Changes Aim to Simplify Navigation and Aid Discoverability

Hulu is about to update its streaming app to make it easier to navigate and discover new content, according to TechCrunch.

The big change coming in the next few weeks will be to the Hulu Lineup screen that users see when the app is launched.

Hulu wants to trial two different variations to see which one has the most engagement: a "Hulu Picks" collection that will be curated by staff, and an "Unwatched in My Stuff" option that will show users things in their list that they've yet to watch.

Hulu told TechCrunch it will test both options with a portion of users in the coming weeks in order to determine which one sees the best response.

Elsewhere, other upcoming changes will include enabling users to view content while they search the thumbnail interface for something to watch.

Subscribers can also expect a larger, more prominent "Details" button on content within collections like Kids, News, and Sports. More metadata will be available, too, including things like genre, rating, and release year.

In addition, the Details button is set to feature quick user actions such as playing the next episode in a series, adding items to "My Stuff," and other show-specific settings.

When browsing the Live TV channel guide, users will be able to view two weeks ahead, rather than just what's on now and next. In general, users will also see a refreshed palette for the interface, including background artwork and movie posters.

Tag: Hulu

Top Rated Comments

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HMFIC03

9 months ago

That’s good news. Hulu IMO has the worst UI of all streaming services

Rating: 7 Votes

Ivan0310

9 months ago

Their's has to be the worst UI--follows all of the tenants of "It doesn't have to work, it just has to look good." Not to mention the stability of their service is ****--my favorite being when the stream playback is fine, but it crashes on one of their ad spots.

Rating: 4 Votes

Arran

9 months ago

I’ve been close to cancelling my Hulu subscription because it’s so hard to find things in their “unique” UI.

So what should be a pleasant, relaxing activity (watching TV) becomes a stressful activity to be avoided.

Rating: 3 Votes

squirrelist

9 months ago

So so glad to hear this. And the screenshots look like they addressed my two biggest problems with the UI:

Going back to a grid. I hate that right now it's swipe, see what's on the screen, swipe, see what's on the next screen.

And making it easy to understand what is selected with a highlight or bold. The current overlining is so confusing. Who overlines?

Rating: 3 Votes

supremedesigner

9 months ago

I hope the new UI will be better. I wondered if they hired the whole new designer team?

Rating: 3 Votes

0970373

9 months ago

Can you mark shows as watched yet? It's the simplest of things that Hulu just doesn't want to let you do.

Rating: 2 Votes

DrKarl

9 months ago

Surround sound / 5.1 from Apple TV yet? No. Making the interface more usable is important (was the dumbest interface out there) - but totally non-competitive with Amazon Prime and Netflix by only streaming basic stereo sound. Pretty pitiful.

Rating: 2 Votes

CarlJ

9 months ago

I’ve been close to cancelling my Hulu subscription because it’s so hard to find things in their “unique” UI.

I gave up on Hulu's current generation of UI (but not on the service), at least on the Apple TV, and have been happily watching shows on Hulu, Netflix, and iTunes using WatchAid ('http://www.watchaid.tv/') as a front-end (a task that ought to be handled by Apple's "TV" app, but I find it a little too imposing, on the order in which it thinks I should watch things, and various other bits). The WatchAid app has a list of the shows I watch, and the seasons/episodes I've seen of each. I go into the app, choose a show, watch an episode or two (it redirects into the right spot in the appropriate service-specific app), then back to WatchAid afterwards where the episodes get marked as watched, and I can choose what to watch next. And the interface only shows the shows I've chosen to watch, nothing else. Clean and simple.

Rating: 1 Votes

itsmilo

9 months ago

Netflix speak for: “silly human thought My List meant you do the organising of it”. They’re after Recently Watched now. Netflix get worse by the week. Totally anti-user Netflix has become. #deletenetflix

Netflix will likely add ads any day now, the way they are going.

Timing is everything. Let’s hope Apple brings a semblance of sanity back to streaming. My list is my list, and recently watched should be organised chronologically. No, ifs ands or buts.

All I need from Netflix is the most obvious ALREADY WATCHED button!

there is so much stuff on my list that I have already seen all seasons of but it still shows me the show as „continue watching“ on my list cuz the pilot decided to play again for like 5 seconds.

Rating: 1 Votes