HBO Max rolls out AI-powered features and vertical video feed to transform content discovery

HBO Max embraces vertical video with a new 'Shorts' feed

HBO Max is the latest streaming service to add a TikTok-like short-form video feed to its platform to help users find something to watch. The service is also launching an experimental AI-powered conversational search experience, Warner Bros. announced on Tuesday. HBO Max, like other streaming platforms, is rethinking content discovery as large libraries are making it hard for viewers to find something to watch and as audiences become accustomed to short-form content on platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels. With its vertical video feed and AI search feature, the platform is looking to give users more ways to navigate its content library and find something to watch. The new "Shorts" icon in the bottom navigation menu of the HBO Max app will open up a feed of trailers, clips, and bonus content. The company says the content that appears in a user's feed is customized to their individual taste and preferences based on watch history. If users come across a video they find interesting, they can start watching the TV show or movie immediately, or they can choose to save it to their watch later list. Warner Bros. also says the clips included in the video feed are powered by an AI tool that uses scene-level metadata to analyze thousands of hours of film and TV show content to surface the most compelling scenes for discovery. HBO Max editors then decide which clips best represent the streaming service's library of content. HBO Max joins streaming services like Netflix, Disney+, and Peacock, all of which feature vertical video feeds to surface clips from their content libraries. Warner Bros. says the new vertical feed is first being tested with select iOS users in the U.S. before it's rolled out across more devices and markets. The new conversational search feature uses natural language understanding to interpret queries and recommend relevant movies and TV shows. For example, you could search for terms like "in the mood for a comedy," "dysfunctional family drama" or "best movie for a girls night in," to find relevant recommendations. It's worth noting that Netflix launched a similar AI-powered search experience for its users last year. HBO Max and Netflix aren't the only streaming services leveraging AI, as Amazon has an AI voice search experience on Fire TVs that responds to open-ended inquiries about TV shows and movies. HBO Max's new experimental feature is available to select Android users in the U.S., with plans for it to be expanded to more devices and markets soon.

HBO Max is putting on vertical shorts

Warner Bros. Discovery is bringing a vertical video feed to HBO Max to help you find something new to watch. Streaming platforms like Netflix, Disney Plus, and Peacock already offer TikTok-like vertical video feeds to surface content that might be interesting to users, and now HBO Max will have a similar feed of its own. The feed, called "HBO Max Shorts," will be accessible from an icon on the bottom navigation menu. It will show you things like trailers, clips, and bonus content from the HBO Max library, and it's tailored to you based on your watch history. You can jump into a show or movie right from the HBO Max Shorts clip or add it to your list if you want to bookmark it for later. HBO Max Shorts will be tested first with "select iOS users" in the US before coming to more markets and devices. Here's WBD's explanation of how it makes the clips for the feed -- it relies on a mix of an AI tool and HBO Max editors: The clips for this feature are powered by an AI tool built in-house, which helps human editors select and verticalize content by using machine learning algorithms that utilize scene-level metadata to comb through thousands of hours of titles and suggests the most compelling, high-impact scenes for discovery. Once the tool has suggested these clips, HBO Max editors decide which best represent the stories viewers love and capture jaw dropping moments, pivotal plot twists, and visually stunning sequences. These clips are then rendered in a new vertical video experience to ensure seamless playback. Looking ahead, "HBO Max Shorts" will expand to include additional devices and markets, incorporate sports content, and refine as users interact with the feature. WBD is also testing an "experimental conversational search experience" for HBO Max that lets users search for content with natural language queries, and it's available first for adult users on Android in the US. Netflix is testing a similar feature.

HBO Max Rolls Out Vertical Video, AI Search to Help You Decide What to Watch

HBO Max is the latest streaming platform to roll out a TikTok-style vertical short-form feed and an AI Search experience to help users quickly find their next watch. "HBO Max Shorts" will initially be limited to iOS users in the US. You can tap the new Shorts icon, next to the Home tab, to access the feed, which will feature trailers, clips, and bonus content based on your viewing history and preferences. If a clip prompts you to watch the show, you can tap the episode number to start watching or add it to your My List to watch later. The clips are selected by HBO Max editors, who pick from a pool of videos gathered by a built-in AI tool. "Once the tool has suggested these clips, HBO Max editors decide which best represent the stories viewers love and capture jaw dropping moments, pivotal plot twists, and visually stunning sequences," Warner Bros. Discovery, HBO's parent company, said in a press release. In the future, HBO Max Shorts will include sports content and expand to more devices and markets, the company added. ESPN, Disney+, Prime Video, and Netflix already have similar vertical video feeds. How to Use Natural Language Search on HBO Max Alongside the new video feed, WBD announced an experimental AI search experience called "Ask HBO Max." The idea is to let users describe what they'd like to watch in plain language. They could, for example, use terms like "in the mood for a comedy," "dysfunctional family drama," or "best movie for a girls night in," and find relevant results. The feature is limited to Android users aged 18 and older at launch and can be accessed from the search page. As with HBO Max Shorts, Ask HBO Max will eventually expand to more devices and markets, WBD said. The parent company is currently in the middle of a controversial merger. After Paramount-Skydance agreed to take over the company earlier this year, 12 states challenged the merger on antitrust grounds. Last week, Paramount and WBD decided to delay the merger until June 1, 2027, or five days after a court reaches a decision on the lawsuit.

Finding something to watch on HBO Max could soon get a whole lot easier

Select Android users in the US can also try Ask HBO Max. This AI-powered search tool understands natural-language requests like moods, genres, or viewing occasions instead of requiring exact movie or show titles. Remember when Netflix introduced its TikTok-style vertical feed to help people stumble across something new to watch? Now, HBO Max wants to make finding your next binge just as effortless. Warner Bros. is testing a feature called Shorts, bringing a vertical, swipeable feed of movie and TV clips to HBO Max in the US. Instead of scrolling through endless rows of posters and trying to judge a show by its thumbnail, you'll be able to flip through short iconic scenes, trailers, and bonus content until something catches your attention. The idea actually makes a lot of sense. Most people don't discover new content by reading long descriptions anymore. Sometimes all it takes is a funny exchange, an intense action scene, or a dramatic plot twist to convince you to start a new series. That's exactly what HBO Max is trying to recreate inside its own app. The new Shorts tab lives in the app's bottom navigation bar. If a clip catches your eye, you can jump straight into the full movie or episode without digging through the app to find it. For now, the feature is only being tested with a limited number of iPhone users in the US, although the company plans to expand it to more devices and regions over time. Interestingly, those clips aren't selected entirely by hand. Warner Bros. says it built an in-house AI system that combs through thousands of hours of movies and shows, identifying scenes that are most likely to grab viewers' attention. Human editors then review those suggestions and decide which moments deserve a place in the Shorts feed. HBO Max is also experimenting with search that feels a lot less rigid. A new Ask HBO Max feature is rolling out to select Android users in the US, letting subscribers search the catalog using natural language instead of exact titles or actor names. So if you can't remember what you want to watch, you can search for "something funny that's under two hours," "a thriller with unexpected twists," or "a show to binge over the weekend," and HBO Max will recommend titles based on the intent behind your search instead of relying solely on exact keywords. Like the Shorts feed, this conversational search experience is currently limited to a small group of US users, with a wider rollout planned for additional devices and markets later on.

HBO Max just launched TikTok-style shorts and AI search that's a spoiler nightmare

Sara Heritage is a tech and gaming journalist, who's currently making her way up to Master Ball rank in Pokemon Champions. Bylines in IGN, GAMINGbible, The Gamer and more. You can usually find her tinkering with tech, or restoring old consoles, always with one of her 3 cats nearby. Come and talk with her over on Twitter @SHeritageJourno. * HBO Max launched Shorts (TikTok-style clips) and a conversational search to simplify mobile discovery. * Shorts uses AI-curated dramatic clips that tempt endless scrolling and can easily spoil big moments. * Conversational search (Android) finds shows by mood or vague prompts to make picking faster. HBO Max just launched two new mobile features in the US: Shorts, which is basically a TikTok-style feed of quick highlights from their shows and movies, and a Conversational Search Tool that lets you find stuff to watch just by saying what you're in the mood for. It's all about making it easier to scroll, sample, and maybe actually pick something from their massive library. HBO Max Shorts will show you the best scenes before you've watched the show. Does everything need short-form content now? If you need something to watch while you eat, this is a great way to get lost in scrolling and totally forget about your food. The clips are picked by an in-house AI that scans through hours of shows to find the most dramatic or jaw-dropping scenes. Editors then choose the best ones, and boom, you get a vertical video feed. HBO Max says Shorts will eventually show up on more devices, add sports, and get better as people use it. The idea is to showcase the best scenes and help you choose what to watch. But honestly, isn't this just a spoiler minefield? Imagine getting the big Sopranos twist ruined in a random clip. Or having the ending of The Pitt spoiled before you even start. Why bother watching if the app spoils it for you? If you actually want to try it, just tap the Shorts icon at the bottom to scroll through trailers, clips, and extras. The feed is tailored to your interests, so if something catches your eye, you can watch it right away or save it for later. Right now, it's only on iOS for some users, but it'll roll out to more people soon. There's also a new experimental search tool for adults in the US, starting on Android. Just hit "Ask HBO Max" on the search page and type in stuff like "in the mood for a comedy" or "best movie for a girls night in." The app tries to figure out what you want, even if you don't use the exact title. This will show up on more devices soon too. "These new mobile features build on intuitive, familiar behaviors subscribers use every day. Both 'HBO Max Shorts' and 'conversational search' translate those behaviors into new ways to discover programming across the HBO Max service, making it easier and more seamless for subscribers to find something to watch," said Liesel Kipp, Executive Vice President, Product Management, Warner Bros. Discovery. Honestly, given how much time you spend scrolling through its Shorts, just rewatch Succession. It's the main reason I've kept my HBO Max subscription for so long.