Technology and Science · updated 1h ago · 2 min read
YouTube Announces Custom Feeds Let Viewers Type Descriptions for Homepage Tabs
YouTube introduced Custom Feeds allowing users to describe feeds with plain-language prompts. Custom Feeds will be available in the U.S. on web, mobile, and TV.
How much emphasis goes on Custom Feeds vs other updates.
7 of 9 outlets skipped it: ask YouTube expands to include product comparison tables.
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Gizmodo
“One standout is the Custom Feeds button, which will soon allow users to create customized feeds.”Read the original ↗
Ars Technica
“The platform will finally add the option to post GIFs in comments, which has apparently been a common request for some time.”Read the original ↗
Gizmodo and TechCrunch frame Custom Feeds as algorithm control. Ars Technica spreads attention across unrelated platform tweaks.
Custom Feeds Go Live
YouTube used its Made on YouTube event to announce Custom Feeds, a feature that lets viewers type descriptions to create dedicated homepage recommendation tabs. Emily Moxley, vice president of product management for viewer AI at YouTube, said, "Behind that growth is a custom Gemini model that maps the viewer's most complex questions to the exact second that the video provides the answer," explaining how Ask YouTube is tied to video moments. YouTube said Custom Feeds will roll out soon in the US across web, mobile, and TVs, and it will let users save "multiple" feeds without specifying the exact number.
YouTube also said Ask YouTube will expand with organized product recommendations and product comparison tables, and viewers can ask follow-up questions directly on a video's watch page. YouTube positioned the changes as part of a broader push to deepen engagement across its ecosystem, while adding creator tools such as AI-generated feedback on video drafts and channel-matched thumbnails.
Ask YouTube Becomes Shopping
YouTube said Ask YouTube will take on a conversational role in product review videos, letting users type or use voice commands to get more information about a product. BigGo Finance said Ask YouTube will now handle shopping queries and follow-up questions, presenting users with organized product recommendations and comparison tables based on their stated preferences. YouTube also said the music version of its AI is expanding, with Ask Music getting more prominent placement in the YouTube Music app right at the top where search used to be.
YouTube’s viewer features also included real-time AI audio translation starting with English and Spanish for live streamers, alongside expanded affiliate shopping integration with Amazon. YouTube’s announcements arrived as platforms faced growing scrutiny over online design choices, while safety advocates continued ringing alarms over conversational AI tools engaging younger audiences.
Creator Tools and Commerce
YouTube said it is adding Shorts series playlists so partners can organize microdramas or episodic content into playlists with clear season and episode numbers. BigGo Finance said YouTube Studio is gaining new capabilities including AI-generated feedback on video drafts, channel-matched thumbnails, and the ability to test up to three different video cuts simultaneously. YouTube also said it is testing an opt-in AI comment moderation system that adapts to individual creators' preferences, and it is combining voice and facial detection for likeness-protection tools.
BigGo Finance said YouTube Shopping’s affiliate program will expand to 35 countries by the end of the year, up from its current footprint, and it said the program already counts more than 1.3 million enrolled creators. YouTube said it is also introducing Custom Feeds for U.S. users across web, mobile and TV platforms, and it described the feature as letting viewers save homepage tabs organized around specific interests such as documentaries or DIY content.