YouTube’s Homepage to be Emptied if You Have Watch History Turned Off, As Part of Latest Changes

Ever wondered how you got these Recommended videos on your homepage if you rarely used YouTube? Well, that is soon to be emptied if you have no significant data in the platform, with YouTube allowing users to turn off their Watch History, causing this algorithm to not pick up on any recommendations that are sometimes random.

This latest update claims that it will change how YouTube looks, especially on one's homepage, without random videos, especially for those who rarely use it.

YouTube to Empty Homepage if Watch History is Off

In the latest update by YouTube's community announcement, a new feature is coming for the app (iOS, Android) and web browsers when watching on the platform. This centers on Watch History, especially if users have it turned off, with the platform's algorithm no longer picking up on random videos to display on one's home feed.

"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," said the company.

Should a user have no significant viewing history, features like the home page would no longer display random Recommended videos.

"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," said YouTube.

YouTube Algorithm to Change Soon

According to 9to5 Google, this update may not affect users that use YouTube without an account, as they too have no watch history recorded on their tied-up Google credentials.

That being said, this points out a change in the algorithm if they turn the Watch History off, as their feed would be emptied or cleaned out. However, it would also cause them to miss out or search often for their preferred videos as there are no recommendations.

YouTube's Streaming Platform

One of the longest-running streaming platforms in the world is YouTube, and it has gone through massive changes throughout the years, with the company centering its operations on the Premium subscription. YouTube Premium is where users can get the most out of their streaming, as massive features are hidden behind this paywall, including better bitrate with 1080p Premium.

For those looking for an ad-free streaming platform, others have resorted to using ad blockers for an uninterrupted viewing experience. However, that would not work now, as YouTube's latest policy update bans the use of ad blockers on the platform, and if caught using it in three instances, the platform would block the video.

The many changes on YouTube have made it keep up with the modern demands for streaming, with the company giving more features to users in their entertainment or educational needs. Now, YouTube is giving control to users on what they see on their homepage, with the algorithm blocked off when Watch History is off, effectively emptying the Recommended feed.