Hulu teases redesigned app with simplified navigation, new homepage, more

Chance Miller | Jan 9 2019 - 7:56 pm PT

Hulu’s application for iOS and tvOS has become increasingly difficult and confusing to navigate over the years. At CES 2019, however, the streaming company announced that it is making some notable changes to its app, both in terms of appearance and functionality.

TechCrunch reports that the biggest change coming to the Hulu app is that the company is ditching the “Lineup” concept. Currently, the Lineup interface serves as the homescreen for the Hulu app, appearing when you first open it.

In its current state, Lineup shows an odd mix of editor top picks and so-called personal recommendations. In actuality, Hulu has found that users lose interest in this page in as little as 30 seconds because of its confusing combination of content:

“Lineup is confusing,” Hulu’s new VP of Product, Jim Denney, admitted, in a discussion with TechCrunch at CES about the new features. “Lineup, the way it is today, is a combination of editorial picks and recommendations…that combination of things is not as effective as we’d like it to be,” he said.

Going forward, Hulu says it is going to trial two different replacements for Lineup: “Hulu Picks” and “Unwatched in My Stuff.” The former will feature a collection of content hand-picked by Hulu staff, while the latter will offer a rundown of stuff you’ve watched in the past with newly-available episodes.

Hulu will test these two concepts “over the coming weeks,” and whichever one resonates most with users will roll out to everyone.

There are other changes coming to Hulu as well. For instance, the interface is being updated to show more information such as genre, rating, and release dates as you scroll. Hulu is also adding a new “Details” button that makes it easier to jump to a show’s full page.

Currently on tvOS, accessing this page is hidden behind an unintuitive long-press on the Siri Remote’s trackpad. On the Details page, you’ll be able to add something to “My Stuff,” mark something as watched or unwatched, and more.

As time progresses, Denney explains that the Hulu app will continue to evolve, saying:

“I think you should expect to see the UI continue to evolve. We’ll make modifications based on what we’ve learned. We’ll continue to make changes in the UI and make changes to the way we do our recommendations. The mission is to make sure people appreciate the amount of content they have access to without being overwhelming. This home redesign is an ingredient in that.”

Hulu doesn’t explicitly say when you can expect the full redesign to roll out to iOS and tvOS, but ideally, it will be sooner rather than later.