Disney+ is preparing to roll out what may become its most divisive update yet, signaling a clear shift in how the company thinks people actually use streaming apps in 2026. Announced during Disney’s Tech & Data Showcase at CES, the platform will introduce a vertical, swipeable video feed designed specifically for mobile viewing. In practical terms, this means Disney+ will soon behave a little less like a traditional streaming library and a lot more like the social apps competing for attention on your phone.
According to Disney, the new feature will surface personalized, short-form video that users consume entirely in portrait mode. While the company hasn’t detailed exactly what that content will look like, the framing suggests clips, highlights, promotional material, and possibly original short-form programming rather than full episodes chopped into pieces. It’s a move that reflects broader viewing habits, particularly among younger audiences who increasingly expect content to meet them where they already spend time.
Erin Teague, Disney’s executive vice president of product management, described the feed as something that will evolve over time. Rather than a static feature, it’s meant to refresh dynamically based on user behavior, interests, and previous activity. The goal, at least on paper, is relevance and immediacy, not endless scrolling for its own sake. Whether users see it that way is another question entirely.
The update also highlights how closely Disney+ is now tied to Disney’s advertising strategy. Alongside the vertical feed, Disney announced a new AI-powered video generation tool that allows advertisers to create connected-TV-ready ads using existing brand assets. Jamie Power, senior vice president of addressable sales at Disney Advertising, stressed that the tool is meant to help scale creative work rather than replace agencies. It’s already being tested internally and will move into limited beta with advertisers in the coming months.
This is part of a larger push. Disney Advertising is also expanding its Compass platform with new planning and analytics tools, including a single “Brand Impact Metric” designed to measure attention, reach, brand health, and search performance in one place. From Disney’s perspective, these tools simplify a fragmented ad ecosystem. From a viewer’s perspective, they underline how central advertising has become to the future of streaming.
What makes the vertical feed controversial isn’t the technology itself, but what it represents. Disney+ launched as a counterpoint to algorithm-driven chaos: a clean library, familiar brands, and intentional viewing. Introducing a TikTok-style feed risks blurring that identity, even if users can ignore it. For some, it will feel like convenience. For others, it will feel like one more platform surrendering to the scroll.
The feature is expected to roll out in the U.S. later in 2026. Whether it becomes a core part of the Disney+ experience or quietly fades into the background will depend less on strategy decks and more on how quickly users swipe past it—or don’t.
