YouTube has announced a new update that disables all video recommendations for users who have opted to turn off their watch history, offering a cleaner and less cluttered homepage.
YouTube users are accustomed to a home feed filled with video thumbnails based on their watch history settings. However, with this new update, users can now turn off their watch history and enjoy a simpler homepage experience. This stripped-down homepage features only the search bar and a left-hand guide menu offering shortcuts to Subscriptions, Shorts, and Library.
The intention behind this update, as explained by Google in a recent post, is to provide more clarity about YouTube features that rely on watch history for video recommendations. Additionally, this change aims to streamline the experience for users who prefer to search for content rather than rely on browsing recommendations.
While the update promises a cleaner interface, Google has also indicated that these changes will be rolled out gradually over the next few months, ensuring that users have time to adapt to the new experience.
In other news related to YouTube, some iOS users have reported buffering issues while watching live content on YouTube TV and YouTube Primetime Channels. The problem seems to be specific to iOS devices, including both iPhones and iPads, as the same content appears to stream smoothly on Android devices, TVs, and other platforms. YouTube has acknowledged the issue and is actively working to find a solution.
This update to YouTube’s homepage is a part of the broader “new viewer experience” that Google unveiled recently. Users who have turned off their watch history and do not have a significant prior watch history will now see a simpler homepage. This homepage will prominently feature the search bar, along with buttons for Shorts, Subscriptions, and Library. Notably, personalized video recommendations that typically require watch history data will be absent for these users.
While Google’s intention behind this update is to provide a more tailored experience for users, this could also serve as a trigger for users to enable their watch history once again.
