YouTube Tests New “Custom Feed” Feature to Let Users Shape Their Recommendations

YouTube is experimenting with a new feature called Your Custom Feed, which lets users customise their Home feed using conversational prompts. The tool reflects a broader trend across social media platforms like X, Instagram and Threads, where AI-powered personalisation is becoming central to user control. While YouTube has tested feed customisation features before, this update aims to give users more transparency and influence, even if most people may not actively change their settings.

YouTube Introduces a New Way to Personalise Your Home Feed

YouTube is testing a new feature that aims to give users deeper control over what shows up on their Home feed. The experiment, called “Your Custom Feed”, allows people to update their recommendations using simple conversational prompts, similar to emerging AI-led tools on X, Threads and Instagram.

If activated on your account, you will see your Custom Feed appear as a chip next to the Home tab. Tapping it will let you type a short prompt and instantly adjust the type of videos YouTube recommends.

How the New Recommendation Tool Works

YouTube says the feature is designed to give users an easy way to steer their suggested videos instead of relying only on passive watch history.

With this test:

• You can enter a prompt like “More travel vlogs” or “Less gaming content”
• The system refines your feed based on your inputs
• Changes reflect quickly in the Home feed

It’s currently in a limited rollout, so only a small group of users will see the feature. But YouTube suggests trying it out if it appears, to understand how effectively it fine-tunes your recommendations.

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Not YouTube’s First Attempt at Feed Customisation

While this experiment feels like a new AI-forward update, YouTube has tried various customisation tools before.

Previous efforts include:

• A “Customise Your Feed” prompt (tested a few years ago) where users selected videos they liked to train the algorithm

• Colour-based feeds for YouTube Premium users last year, offering theme-based recommendations for variety

The new feature, however, leans much more into the current AI-driven ecosystem, where platforms allow users to refine feeds through conversational assistants or topic-based controls.

Why Social Platforms Are Exploring More User Input

Across platforms, users have increasingly questioned how much algorithms control what they watch. Tools like Your Custom Feed aim to bring transparency and choice by allowing:

• More direct influence over recommendations
• An option to see more from followed accounts
• Custom topic-based content through simple prompts

X, Instagram and Threads are also developing similar systems, blending AI chatbots with feed personalisation to let users adjust the algorithm in real time.

Will Users Actually Use These Features?

Despite calls for algorithm transparency, most users rarely change their settings. Many simply open the app and start scrolling, letting the system decide what to show.

This raises a big question:

If users don’t actively customise their feed, why do platforms keep adding these tools?

The answer lies in reassurance. Platforms want to show that options exist, even if few people use them. Offering feed controls reduces criticism around “algorithm dominance,” while still allowing platforms to rely on AI-driven recommendations to maximise engagement.