On the flip side, this also means users have the option to have a cleaner, less cluttered interface.
Full text:
[AUGUST 8, 2023] A new viewer experience that better corresponds to your YouTube watch history preferences
One of the benefits of having YouTube watch history on is that it enables YouTube to provide video recommendations you may be interested in; however, we know some prefer to clear and turn off your YouTube watch history. Starting today, we’re changing how you see recommendations on YouTube, based on your Watch History settings:
Starting today, if you have YouTube watch history off and have no significant prior watch history, features that require watch history to provide video recommendations will be disabled – like your YouTube home feed. This means that starting today, your home feed may look a lot different: you’ll be able to see the search bar and the left-hand guide menu, with no feed of recommended videos thus allowing you to more easily search, browse subscribed channels and explore Topic tabs instead.
We’re rolling these changes out slowly, over the next few months. We are launching this new experience to make it more clear which YouTube features rely on watch history to provide video recommendations and make it more streamlined for those of you who prefer to search rather than browse recommendations. You can change your YouTube watch history settings at any time based on whether you prefer us to provide video recommendations or not.
I’m confused. Was anyone really considering that Youtube didn’t keep a log of what every account watched even if their history was off? Being cynical, this seems to only add functionality: removing recommendations.
I guess a CEO opened the YouTube frontpage while logged out and went “what is this shit”.
But seriously, this seems like it’s a good thing overall. The “default”/empty history algorithm recommendations are truly, truly horrifying more often than not. It’s almost entirely low-quality clickbait and I can’t imagine many people actually appreciate it like that.
And after three or four clicks, you’re immediately stumbling through horrible right wing ragebait
Or spoilers after spoilers if you search up some media you are interested in. I hate those youtubers so much who put the spoilers right in the tile and thumbnail.
It’s pretty scummy behavior
Good. Now, extending this logic, if I have ZERO WATCH HISTORY of shorts videos on my account, then… STOP CLOGGING MY SUBSCRIPTION FEED WITH SHORTS!!!
Don’t threaten me with a good time
Does anyone else like turning history off just so they can see random new stuff?
Sometimes I use Youtube in a private browser just so I can actually be exposed to new information and channels.
Its so annoying that the algorithm is always trying to pigeon hole my feed (facebook and spotify are the same)
Sounds like a positive to me. One of the worst things is looking up content for a game or tv/movie show you’re interested in then getting suggested similar content that increases the chance of spoilers due to people who put it in their thumbnail or titles.
Even if youtube wasnt already recording watch history under the table, all the data that youtube needs to generate meaningful recommendations is already there in my subscription list.
So promote peertube more?
I wish, the content needs to get much better. I wish some good YouTube channels would also upload their videos to PeerTube
This seems very confusing going into the comments, because it doesn’t sound like the feature would actually work without enabling this, and it’s more or less curbing the feature when you don’t have anything to go on.
It sounds like if anything it’s reducing it’s presence until you’ve actually used youtube, and having it enabled is the normal state we’re currently in.
“Either help us feed the algorithm, or we will make your experience worse”
It’s okay with me, I don’t rely on personalised algorithm anyway. Find what I need and off I go.
@soyagi I use YouTube mainly with Subscription (137) view anyway, with disabled history. I’m fine.
I don’t get it
This is what happens when you let VCs and capitalists into a corporation. They will screw over there families for just another dollar.
So… How do I enable this feature without deleting my watch history. I just want to be able to tell what vids ive seen when I’m popcorning through a channels back catalog.
So by keeping all my google history’s off I now get the simple search UI I’ve missed since Melissa Meyer left (albeit on Youtube instead of Google search)? Can I sign up get this rolled to my account faster please?
