YouTube tests 'Your Custom Feed' to let users create feeds using text prompts

Finding a YouTube video that matches your interests can often be challenging. The video-sharing platform seems to have acknowledged this issue and is introducing a new experimental feature called “Your Custom Feed.”

This new test aims to address the frustration users experience with algorithm-driven recommendations that sometimes miss the target. Historically, YouTube’s algorithm has been known to misinterpret user intentions. For example, watching a few Disney videos might lead the platform to assume you are a devoted fan, resulting in an overwhelming amount of similar content, even if that’s not what you really want.

For those participating in the experiment, you’ll see “Your Custom Feed” next to the standard “Home” button on the homepage. Clicking it lets you input prompts tailored to your interests.

Instead of passively scrolling through a stream of content that may not align with your interests, this feature allows you to actively shape your feed by entering specific prompts. For instance, if you want more cooking videos, simply typing that into the custom feed will help YouTube prioritize similar content in the future.

The introduction of YouTube’s “Your Custom Feed” could significantly change how users interact with the platform. This customizable feed could be a much more efficient way to curate content than the current methods of individually clicking on videos and selecting “Not interested” or “Don’t recommend channel.”

YouTube is not alone in exploring more personalized feed options. Other platforms are also developing similar features. Threads was recently observed testing an algorithm-configuration tool, and X is reportedly working on a feature that would allow users to tag its AI chatbot, Grok, to modify their feed.