YouTube custom feeds are becoming pinned Home tabs, the company announced at its Made on YouTube event on 23 September 2026. Google says the multi-tab version is coming to United States users on web, mobile and TV, without naming a date. The version live today allows one feed, in English.
What YouTube Announced on 23 September
The announcement is an expansion of a feature that already exists, not a new product. YouTube, the video platform owned by Google’s parent company Alphabet, said viewers will be able to create several custom feeds and keep each one as its own tab beside the standard Home recommendations.
Users describe what they want in plain language and Gemini, the Google AI model that replaced Google Assistant, assembles the feed. YouTube’s published examples include a feed of video podcasts for a 30-minute train commute and a wind-down feed of long documentaries. The company’s blog says only that “custom feeds will be available for users in the U.S. on web, mobile, and TVs soon.”
Emily Moxley, YouTube’s vice president of product management for viewer AI, framed the feature around the size of the catalogue, telling reporters there are “over 20 billion videos in the YouTube corpus.”
What You Can Actually Use Today
One custom feed, not several. Google’s own support documentation for the feature, which has been rolling out more widely since May 2026, sets out limits that the announcement coverage does not mention.
- Number of feeds: “You can maintain one custom feed at a time.”
- Expiry: “Custom feed prompts expire after 30 days of inactivity.”
- Country and language: the feature is described by Google as experimental and available in English in the United States.
- Account settings: both YouTube watch history and search history must be turned on, and the device language must be set to English.
- Sign-in: you must be signed in to a YouTube account.
That last requirement is the one most likely to catch people out. If you have switched watch history off for privacy reasons, the custom feed option does not appear at all.
How to Create and Change a Custom Feed
- Open the Home tab in the YouTube app or on the web while signed in.
- Select “Your custom feed” from the row of options at the top of the screen.
- Type a description of what you want, or pick one of the suggested prompts, then press Enter.
- To change it, tap the text box at the top of the feed and enter a new prompt. The feed rebuilds around the new description.
Google does not document a way to delete an active feed. A prompt you stop using disappears on its own after 30 days.
Does a Custom Feed Change Your Main Recommendations?
Yes, indirectly. Google’s support page states that videos watched from a custom feed are added to your standard watch history, and that those watches “may influence your main Home recommendations.”
In practice that means a custom feed is not a sealed container. Building a feed around a subject you are only briefly curious about can still push that subject into the ordinary Home page afterwards.
The Rest of Made on YouTube 2026, and Which Parts Have Dates
Custom feeds were one of roughly a dozen announcements, and the company attached firm timing to only some of them.
| Feature | Stated availability |
|---|---|
| Custom feeds (multiple tabs) | United States, web, mobile and TV, “soon” |
| YouTube Shorts series and episodes | Rolling out from 23 September 2026 |
| GIF comments | Autumn 2026 |
| YouTube direct messaging group chats | Autumn 2026, in the US, UK, Singapore, Brazil and some European countries |
| Ask YouTube shopping comparisons | No date or regions given |
| Your podcast lineup | “Coming soon”, for YouTube Music and Premium subscribers |
| Live auto-dubbing | Early 2027 |
| AI comment moderation | Testing |
YouTube also said its shopping affiliate programme will operate in 35 countries by the end of 2026, and that creators in India and Brazil will be able to tag Amazon products. Platforms have been under pressure to show users more about how their feeds are assembled; X recently began naming the country behind a takedown request.
What YouTube Has Not Said
As of 25 September 2026, the multi-feed version has no release date, no confirmed country list beyond the United States and no stated limit on how many tabs a viewer may keep. YouTube has not said whether the one-feed cap and the 30-day expiry carry over to the tabbed version, whether the watch-history requirement stays, or when the feature might reach other languages and countries.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are YouTube Custom Feeds Available Outside the United States?
No. Google describes the feature as experimental and available in English in the United States. It has not announced a rollout to other countries or languages.
How Many Custom Feeds Can You Have on YouTube?
One at a time in the version that is live now. The multiple-tab version announced on 23 September 2026 has not launched, and YouTube has not said how many feeds it will allow.
Do YouTube Custom Feeds Expire?
Yes. Google’s support page states that custom feed prompts expire after 30 days of inactivity. There is no documented way to delete an active feed before then.
Why Can’t I See the Custom Feed Option on YouTube?
The option only appears if you are signed in, have both watch history and search history turned on, and have your YouTube device language set to English. It is also limited to the United States.
Will a Custom Feed Affect My Normal YouTube Recommendations?
Yes. Videos you watch inside a custom feed go into your standard watch history, and Google says those watches may influence your main Home recommendations.
