YouTube announced Custom Feeds at its Made on YouTube event, a feature that lets viewers type descriptions to create dedicated recommendation tabs on their homepage. The company said Custom Feeds will roll out soon in the U.S. across web, mobile, and TVs and will allow users to save “multiple” feeds, without specifying an exact number.
Custom Feeds: how it works and rollout
YouTube described Custom Feeds as a way for viewers to tailor their homepage recommendations by entering descriptive prompts. Emily Moxley, vice president of product management for viewer AI at YouTube, explained how the feature ties into Ask YouTube by saying, “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.” Viewers will also be able to ask follow-up questions directly on a video’s watch page.
Ask YouTube expands into shopping and music
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. The company said Ask YouTube will present organized product recommendations and product comparison tables based on users’ stated preferences and handle shopping queries and follow-up questions.
The music-focused version of the AI, Ask Music, will be given more prominent placement in the YouTube Music app, positioned at the top where search previously appeared.
Additional viewer and creator features
YouTube also announced real-time AI audio translation for live streamers, starting with English and Spanish, and expanded affiliate shopping integration with Amazon. For creators, the company introduced AI-generated feedback on video drafts and channel-matched thumbnails as tools to help improve content and engagement.
YouTube framed these updates as part of a broader effort to deepen engagement across its ecosystem. The announcements come as platforms face scrutiny over design choices and as safety advocates continue to raise concerns about conversational AI tools interacting with younger audiences.
