Google is testing a new feature called "Your custom feed" on YouTube. Will this finally fix the algorithm?
There's no denying that YouTube's algorithm is a mess, its recommendations can vary drastically, from relevant videos to utter garbage that you have no interest in. Accidentally clicked on a video? YouTube may think you like the content in it. Sometimes you may see the same video in your home feed multiple times.
The problem with the video streaming service is that, like many other platforms, it promotes trending content. Just because something goes viral doesn't mean everyone's going to like it. And nowadays, you have to contend with another problem, AI slop.
So, how do you fix the algorithm? Google's way to solve the issue is, YouTube's "Your custom feed" option. Okay, that's a terrible name, but let's focus on what it does. It allows users to customize the recommendations on their home feed. It's about time.
The "Your custom feed" feature is experimental, so it is not live for everyone. If you have access to it, you will see a new option that is labeled "Your custom Feed". Google says this option will appear next to the Home shortcut as a chip. Clicking on it will let you update your home feed recommendations, by entering a simple prompt. Wait, so this is another AI-powered feature? Well, I suppose it is better than nothing. Useful new features on the platform are becoming rarer, as opposed to all the efforts to push more ads.
I don't have access to the custom feed yet, so I can't tell how it works. Android Authority reports that when a user asks YouTube what they would like to see, the app will refresh the recommendation feed.
Prior to this announcement, the only control users had over the content that they saw on YouTube was to click on Don't Recommend Channel, or Not Interested. Those have hardly been helpful, except perhaps to slightly lessen the annoying videos that you might encounter. You could turn off the watch history to get rid of recommendations altogether.
YouTube recently added an option to help users limit the time they spend scrolling Shorts.
Have you tried "Your custom feed"? Share your opinion with us.
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