HBO Max is betting that vertical, TikTok-style clips can solve a growing problem for streaming services: helping users decide what to watch. The platform has introduced a new Shorts feed alongside an experimental AI-powered search tool, aiming to make its vast library more navigable. Warner Bros. announced the features on Tuesday, signaling a shift in how the company thinks about content discovery. Main Developments The new Shorts icon appears in HBO Max's bottom navigation menu, opening a feed of trailers, clips, and bonus content. Warner Bros. says the feed is personalized to each user's taste and preferences, based on their watch history. If a clip catches someone's interest, they can start watching the full show or movie immediately, or save it to a watch-later list. Clips in the feed are powered by an AI tool that analyzes scene-level metadata across thousands of hours of film and TV content. The AI identifies the most compelling scenes, which are then reviewed by HBO Max editors to finalize which clips best represent the library. The feature is currently being tested with select iOS users in the U.S., with plans for a broader rollout. Read also: PayPal Hints at Higher Price After Topping Q2 Earnings Forecasts Separately, HBO Max is launching an experimental conversational search feature that uses natural language understanding. Users can type queries like “in the mood for a comedy,” “dysfunctional family drama,” or “best movie for a girls night in” to get relevant recommendations. This feature is available to select Android users in the U.S., with expansion planned for more devices and markets. Background HBO Max joins a growing list of streaming services embracing vertical video feeds. Netflix, Disney+, and Peacock have all introduced similar features, using short clips to surface content from their libraries. The trend reflects a broader shift in viewer habits, as audiences become accustomed to short-form content on platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels. The AI-powered search is not entirely new to the streaming world. Netflix launched a similar experience for its users last year. Amazon also offers an AI voice search on Fire TVs that responds to open-ended inquiries about TV shows and movies. HBO Max's move is part of an industry-wide effort to improve content discovery as libraries grow larger and harder to navigate. Why It Matters Large content libraries are making it difficult for viewers to find something to watch, a problem that streaming services are racing to solve. Vertical video feeds and AI search tools offer more intuitive ways to browse, potentially reducing the time users spend scrolling and increasing engagement with the platform's catalog. For HBO Max, these features could help retain subscribers who might otherwise turn to other services or social media for entertainment discovery. By blending short-form clips with seamless access to full content, HBO Max is also competing for the attention of audiences who spend significant time on TikTok and Instagram. The move acknowledges that vertical video is no longer a niche format but a mainstream expectation among mobile-first viewers. What's Next Warner Bros. plans to roll out the Shorts feed across more devices and markets after the initial iOS test. The conversational search feature will similarly expand beyond the current Android test group. No specific timeline has been announced for either expansion. As more streaming services adopt similar features, the effectiveness of AI-powered discovery and vertical video in driving viewer satisfaction and retention will become clearer. HBO Max's experiment could inform how other platforms approach content browsing in the future.