YouTube users (so… everyone with an internet connection) have begged the platform for years to give them more control over their home feeds. Users have been at the mercy of the algorithm since the beginning, but YouTube’s latest change is looking to change that. Kinda. The platform is rolling out Custom Feeds, but it’ll require a prompt to get the ball rolling, rather than something you can build manually. Still, it’s a step in the right direction.
Your feed, your rules (kinda)
We think. Custom Feeds are still region-locked to the US at the time of writing. While Americans beta-test the feature, Google has offered suggestions to create your own custom feeds. YouTube’s looking for more abstract prompts, such as “evening wind down with long documentaries” or “new DIY creators.”
These custom feeds will stick around as long as you’d like ’em to. Users suffering through ads every video can create and manage three such feeds, while paying for Premium extends that to eight. All of them are accessible from the home page, meaning your regular recommendations aren’t going anywhere.
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Google says creating a custom feed is as easy as hitting the ‘+’ button at the top of the home page. From there, you’ll describe what you want to see before letting Google’s AI do its thing. You can revisit those same feeds from the top bar whenever you’re in the mood for something different. Because the number of feeds is limited, you’ll likely want to edit the prompt at some stage, or remove it entirely when needed.
Also on the way are improvements meant to streamline navigation. Subscriptions are moving to the top bar, uprooted from the bottom line it has occupied for a decade or so. Dedicated tabs for Shorts and Live music are inbound. Custom feeds are replacing YouTube’s pre-determined feeds, too, making them more accessible.
