YouTube users need to change this setting to avoid seeing blank homepage
Effective immediately, YouTube is modifying the display of recommendations for users who have their watch history turned off and possess limited prior watch history. Here is all you need to know.
In Short
- YouTube is implementing changes to its recommendation system.
- Your YouTube feed could go blank if you don't update Watch history setting.
- People will have to turn on Watch history feature to get video recommendations.
YouTube is implementing changes to its recommendation system that will impact how users see their home feed and video recommendations based on their watch history settings. The popular video-sharing platform has acknowledged that while having watch history turned on, it provides personalized video suggestions, and some users prefer to clear their watch history or disable it altogether. In response to this user preference, YouTube is introducing adjustments to the recommendation experience, with changes set to roll out gradually over the next few months.
Effective immediately, YouTube is modifying the display of recommendations for users who have their watch history turned off and possess limited prior watch history. Your YouTube homepage will now look blank if you don't turn on your watch history option in the app. This change particularly affects the YouTube home feed, which, for those with a limited or disabled watch history, will now appear different. The home feed will display only the search bar and the left-hand guide menu, eliminating the feed of recommended videos.
This alteration aims to offer users who prefer searching and browsing channels. By emphasizing the search function, subscribed channels, and Topic tabs, YouTube says it wants to cater to individuals who would rather seek out content than rely on algorithm-generated recommendations.
“We are launching this new experience to make it more clear which YouTube features rely on watch history to provide video recommendations and make it more streamlined for those of you who prefer to search rather than browse recommendations,” YouTube explained in its support post.
The transition to this new experience will be gradual, with YouTube implementing the changes in stages over the coming months. The good thing is, YouTube users are now retaining control over their watch history settings. To enable Watch History on YouTube for automatic recommendations, people simply need to go to myactivity.google.com. Here, they need to click on YouTube History > and switch to "Turn on" mode.
It is important to note that users can decide anytime to adjust these settings to align with their preference for either receiving video recommendations or opting for a recommendation-free browsing experience. Several users have already started receiving this update as a few users have posted about this on social media channels, saying they don't want to turn on Watch History on YouTube and want things to be as they were previously.
