Netflix Introduces New TikTok-Style Feature With 'Fast Laughs'

After making a name for itself in comedy, Netflix is serving up even more laughs. On Wednesday, the streaming giant officially debuted "Fast Laughs," an all-new feature available on its iPhone app that offers a feed of comedy clips from its stand-up specials, TV series, and movies.

According to the company, the new feature offers a full-screen feed of funny clips from its original programming, including titles like Murder Mystery, Big Mouth, The Crew, and stand-up from comedians like Kevin Hart and Ali Wong. Accessed through the bottom navigation menu by clicking on the Fast Laughs tab, clips automatically start playing, with another beginning as soon as one ends. The feature is already drawing comparisons to TikTok, making Netflix just the latest major company to take a page from the fan-favorite app's book. Fast Laughs allows users to add series, films and stand-up specials to their lists or click to start watching a program immediately. Users can share the clips with friends on Whatsapp, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter. It also includes a "LOL" button."

"We're always looking for new ways to entertain and make discovery easier for members," Patrick Flemming, Director, Product Innovation, said. "Today, we're excited to introduce Fast laughs — a new full-screen feed of funny clips from a wide variety of Netflix titles, ranging from films and series to our deep bench of stand-up specials."

Fast Laughs is currently only available on iPhones in select countries. The streamer said it would begin testing the feature on Android "soon." The feed is accessible through the iOS app's bottom navigation menu by clicking on the Fast Laughs tab.

Fast Laughs marks just the latest new feature rollout for Netflix. In late February, the streamer introduced Downloads for You, a feature that automatically downloads recommended shows or movies to subscribers' mobile devices based on their preferences and viewing history. Netflix also has plans to roll out a Shuffle Play feature, allowing subscribers to let Netflix algorithms randomly select their next show or film to watch worldwide in early 2021.

The new features come after Netflix had a massive 2020, surpassing the 200 million subscriber mark in 2020. Those numbers marked the company's biggest-ever year of growth, with Variety reporting in January that Netflix added 8.51 million paid streaming subscribers, about 2.5 million more than expected, in the fourth quarter to stand at 203.7 million worldwide at the end of the year.