- WBD has migrated Discovery+ to the same platform as the Max app
- As of 12 March, subscribers will see five good new features
- The update will make roll -out of future changes faster and simpler
Discovery+ subscribers get a big update for their streaming apps, according to a message from Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD).
The changes are rolled out today (March 12) to all subscribers in the US and Canada who update their apps, and include five good new features that may be well known to anyone who has signed up for WBD’s second streaming service, max.
That’s because the change will see the Discovery+ app migrate to the same internal tech platform that WBD uses for the HBO streaming service, as WBD’s head of Tech Avi Saxena says, will activate “richer feature sets”.
Uniting Tech Stack for all its streaming services means that WBD will be able to roll any backend changes, including bug fixes and updates for the design of apps, more effectively.
What new features are available on Discovery+?
The update means that WBD can bring a lot of the same good features that Max subscribers are already enjoying for those who are signed up for Discovery+. These include:
- An enhanced website that looks more maximum
- More personalized content recommendations
- A new search layout to jump between episodes
- Ability to log in to the app via a QR code
- New Sharing Functionality to Social Media
Of these new features, the improved navigation tools appear to be the most useful for subscribers who want to find content in the app. In fact, the new search layout (as depicted in the main image of this article) looks like it will make jumps between episodes of a show much simpler.
I can see that this change is most useful for major reality series that have a seemingly endless number of seasons and episodes, making it much easier for viewers to find a specific segment from the show. WBD also says these new improvements allow for more personalized content recommendations.
There is also new sharing functionality that more easily lets Discovery+ subscribers send content to their friends and family more easily. In its announcement of the update, WBD specifies that this new functionality is for “adult profile users”, so it could mean that this feature is disabled for children. We have contacted WBD for clarification and update this article when we hear back.
Discovery+ subscribers can also expect the new website, which looks more like MAX, should have more personalized recommendations that use machine learning to better serve movies and shows that you like.
Outside of the new features, WBD also says the update means that the Discovery+ app will benefit from faster performance more generally, allowing for better video resolution and playback.
Discovery+ is the latest streaming service to roll a revision of its 2025 app, with YouTube TV teasing a large Netflix update earlier this month, Prime Video launched a new app for Apple TV devices in February, and Max makes a big change to its navigation menu in January.
Be sure to check in with Techradar regularly for details of the latest changes in your favorite streaming services.
