(Credit: Google)
YouTube is adding a button at the top of the homepage that lets you enter a prompt and create a custom feed that matches your preferences.
The custom feed option has been spotted in tests since late last year, and it is now rolling out to users in the US who are logged in to their accounts and have enabled watch and search history. At launch, the feature only supports English.
Google describes the rollout as “a new way to shape your discovery experience.” Once you click the new button, you’ll see a prompt box, and some suggested prompts below it. You can choose one of those options or describe your interests, moods, or favorite topics in the prompt box.
Sample prompts include “give me something different beyond my usual feed” and “help me unwind after work with guided meditations under 10 minutes.” Once your prompt yields a custom feed, you can “pin it as a saved chip right to the top of your Home page,” Google says.
(Credit: Google)Unlike on some social media apps, YouTube doesn't let you create multiple custom feeds. “You can maintain one custom feed at a time,” Google says on a support page, but adds that you can change the vibe of your feed by updating your prompt at any time.
You can switch between the custom feed and the regular feed whenever you like. When in the custom feed, click on YouTube’s Home button from the side panel to return.
A custom feed will be valid for 30 days. After that, the prompt and the feed will expire. You’ll need to re-create the feed once again to enjoy watching the same kind of videos. In case you don’t like the feed YouTube’s AI generates, you can share feedback by clicking the three-dot menu next to the prompt box and selecting “Something wrong?”
Google seems determined to weave AI into YouTube’s search and recommendation experiences. Last week at Google I/O, the company also teased an Ask YouTube button that opens up a chatbot-like interface and shows the most relevant videos for your search alongside text summaries. That feature will roll out to US users this summer.


