Have you ever scrolled through YouTube feeling like you’re watching reruns of your watch history while searching for the most relevant videos for you?
The platform is known for its powerful recommendation algorithm, but sometimes it can feel a bit too good at guessing what you want to see.
Well, YouTube might be giving you more control over your feed with a new feature currently in testing.
YouTube has a new way of selecting the most relevant videos for you
This new feature is called “Most Relevant” and it aims to show you the most popular videos based on your interests. According to YouTube’s blog post, instead of relying solely on your watch history, it considers a wider range of factors to curate a personalized feed.
This could include videos from channels you haven’t subscribed to yet, but that are creating content similar to what you typically watch.
In a blog post, YouTube explains:
“[April 16, 2024] Testing an optional personalized Subscriptions Feed on mobile: We’re testing an optional “Most Relevant” view for your Subscriptions feed so that you can easily find the stuff you’re most likely to ❤️. If you’re in the experiment, simply select the chip or avatar that says “Most Relevant” and your feed will update to show you content from Subscriptions you watch most often or you’ve interacted with recently. Not interested? No problem! Your regular Subscriptions feed will still be there by default. This experiment is rolling out to a small percentage of viewers on mobile and expansion will be based on feedback.”
Will be optional to opt in
Unlike some past changes that YouTube has rolled out, like the push for YouTube Premium with aggressive removal of Ad-block services, “Most Relevant” isn’t going to be forced upon you. It’s currently being tested with a limited number of users who can choose to opt in if they’d like to try it out.
This approach allows YouTube to gather feedback and see how users respond to a more curated feed before potentially making it a wider option.
Beneficial for viewers, nightmare for creators
While “Most Relevant” sounds promising for those who want to see the hottest content without wading through endless recommendations, there are also some potential drawbacks to consider.
One concern is that this feature could prioritize already popular channels and videos, making it harder for smaller creators to gain traction. Additionally, a strictly curated feed might limit your exposure to new and unexpected content that falls outside your usual viewing habits.
Ultimately, the success of “Most Relevant” will depend on whether it can strike a balance between showing you the most popular videos and also helping you discover new and interesting content.
Featured image credit: Azamat E/Unsplash
