YouTube lets users customize what content is on their homepage for the first time
Unlike some other social media platforms, YouTube is actually pretty good at finding relevant content for users. The platform’s recommendation algorithm reviews your watch history, channel subscriptions, and other relevant metrics, then serves up more engaging content to keep viewers entertained and watching.
At YouTube’s annual Made for YouTube event on Wednesday, the company announced a slew of new features for users that’ll make it even easier to find what they want.
One feature, called Custom Feeds, will allow users to customize the type of content they see on their YouTube homepage for the first time. Users will be able to create a Custom Feed, telling YouTube, in natural language, exactly what kind of content they want to see in this feed.
For example, a user can tell YouTube that it wants a Custom Feed with “long documentaries” or “new DIY creators,” and a Custom Feed tab will appear on their YouTube homepage serving up that content.
Credit: YouTube
Custom Feeds will live inside tabs at the top of the YouTube homepage, so they’ll continue to see the usual YouTube homepage recommendations if they choose to do so. Users will be able to create multiple Custom Feeds with varying content requests, and they will all be accessible in those tabs on the homepage.
Credit: YouTube
According to YouTube, Custom Feeds are rolling out to users in the U.S. soon.
Along with Custom Feeds, YouTube announced new features for “Ask YouTube,” which will let users ask YouTube questions about products in review videos. This new feature will give Ask YouTube the capability to provide more information about products and serve up video recommendations to go more in-depth on your product questions.
YouTube also announced a new podcast-related feature that will provide users with a personalized, AI-generated audio guide presenting their podcast lineup and recommending new podcasts and episodes based on their interests.
Posts on YouTube are getting an upgrade, too. Viewers will now be recommended Posts from the Shorts feed. Posts will also be added to YouTube’s TV apps soon as well.
