YouTube is factoring user preferences into its video recommendations. Earlier this year, the video hub launched an experiment centered around “custom feeds” — landing pages unified by a specific topic, focus, or vibe. Now, YouTube is expanding its ongoing test by letting users set up multiple custom feeds on a single account.
The details of the latest custom feed update can be found on the webpage that tracks ongoing YouTube experiments. As of August 24, users in the test group (which consists of signed-in viewers in the U.S.) have the option to toggle between multiple custom feeds. Each option gets its own label at the top of the Home feed.
On accounts that have custom feeds enabled, those layouts take the place of the “topic chips” that highlight common threads in a user’s viewing activity. Those chips are useful if you want to discover algorithmic recommendations within a certain content category, but if you want a more specific selection, custom feeds are the way to go. YouTube suggests “help me unwind after work with guided meditations under 10 minutes” as an example of a custom feed “vibe.”
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User choice is a hot topic in the social media world. Consumers want more input for the content that gets served up to them, and YouTube’s custom feeds provide that measure of control.
At the same time, the arrival of custom feeds might just be YouTube’s way of keeping up with Bluesky. The decentralized social hub’s early growth was fueled by its customizable feeds. Bluesky showed off that functionality during Super Bowl LVIII, when it presented Swiftie and non-Swiftie versions of Super Bowl coverage.
Bluesky’s feeds, many of which are built by individuals, give the platform a user-friendly feel. YouTube is wise to offer something similar, since Bluesky is keen to move into YouTube’s territory. Two years after launching native video, Bluesky expanded its max runtime to ten minutes.
YouTube’s quest to build a more personalized homepage allows it to pair its unbeatable video library with the sort of flexibility today’s users crave. You can find out more about custom feeds by clicking here.
