Typically, YouTube’s recommendations serve up content based directly on viewer’s interests. While it isn’t perfect, users’ recommendations typically feature content they usually watch. Over time, though, watching the same content can begin to feel stale. In response to this issue, YouTube has unveiled a new type of feed in the works – named “New To You” – that is meant to help viewers discover new content.
The New To You feed will recommend new content that’s atypical from what they usually watch but still is of interest to them. YouTube believes the new feed will help creators spread their content to new viewers who might not have found them through their typical recommendations.
How does the New To You feed differ from the Explore tab?
While the Explore tab features all the popular videos of the day, the New To You feed offers a personalized experience. YouTube’s algorithm looks at the type of content you usually watch and finds creators and videos you haven’t seen before, but thinks you’ll find interesting based on your current watching habits. The New To You feed will actively try to get you out of your standard content watching bubble. While it will still recommend videos it thinks you’ll like, it will be videos that you usually wouldn’t see recommended to you.
How to access the new feed
New To You is coming out this month on mobile and you will be able to find it at the top of the app’s Home feed. Additionally, if you keep on scrolling through your YouTube recommendations and aren’t finding anything you want to watch, YouTube will ask you if you’d like to look for something different. If you click the popup, you’ll go to the feed.
Discover when you feel like it
It’s interesting that YouTube is rolling out a new recommendation feed after a crowdsourced study claimed YouTube’s recommendations are the most likely way people watch a video they regret watching. With that in mind, we’ll have to see how people react to the new feed. People often criticize social media platforms that put content they haven’t subscribed to into their feeds. With YouTube separating the feed from its typical recommendations, it allows you to explore new content when you feel like it.