YouTube is giving viewers a more direct way to shape what appears on their homepage. Its new Custom Feeds feature lets a person describe a mood, routine or interest in ordinary language, then uses Google’s Gemini model to build a dedicated video feed around that request.
The company says viewers can create and save multiple feeds, such as long documentaries for an evening wind-down or videos from unfamiliar DIY creators. Each feed appears as its own tab on the homepage and updates with new recommendations. According to TechCrunch, prompts can include detailed instructions about what to feature, exclude or prioritize.
A new layer beside the main algorithm
Custom Feeds do not replace YouTube’s primary recommendation feed. They give viewers additional, named lanes for narrower interests without changing the default homepage into a fully user-programmed system. That distinction makes the feature closer to a saved, prompt-built channel than a wholesale replacement for YouTube’s ranking machinery.
YouTube’s official announcement says Custom Feeds will be available to U.S. users on web, mobile and TVs soon. TechCrunch reports that support for multiple feeds will begin rolling out on web and mobile next month. The company has not announced broader international availability.
Comments get GIFs and a voice option on TV
The Made On YouTube event also brought changes to comments. TechCrunch reports that viewers will be able to post GIFs under regular videos and Shorts. People watching on a TV will be able to leave comments by voice instead of typing with a remote.
Creators are also getting an opt-in moderation experiment that YouTube says will learn the style and needs of a particular channel over time. That tool remains a test, and the company has not provided detailed technical information about how it makes moderation decisions.
