YouTube suggesting inappropriate videos? Here's how to adjust your settings to improve recommended content
If you've noticed that your YouTube recommendations are off track, it might be time to clear your watch and search history. This simple action can help the platform start fresh on suggesting content that aligns better with your current interests. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to do it.
Clear or Delete Your Watch and Search History
To reset YouTube's video recommendations for better content suggestions, the primary effective method is to clear or delete your YouTube watch and search history. This action resets the algorithm's reference points and refreshes your recommendations by removing past viewing data that shapes your feed.
On the YouTube app:
- Tap your profile icon.
- Go to Settings (gear icon).
- Select "Manage all history" under the History section.
- Tap "Delete" and then choose "Delete all time."
- Confirm to clear all watch and search history.
On YouTube's web version:
- Click "You" in the side menu.
- View all history.
- Click "Clear all watch history."
Additional Ways to Improve Your Recommendations
Besides clearing your entire history, there are other ways to manage your YouTube recommendations:
- Delete individual videos from your watch history to remove their influence without clearing everything.
- Use the "Not Interested" option on unwanted videos to tell YouTube to show less similar content.
- Choose "Don't Recommend Channel" to block suggestions from specific creators.
- Pause watch history to stop YouTube recording your activity temporarily, preventing new data from influencing recommendations.
- Manage content preferences via YouTube’s parental controls or Family Center, including pausing or clearing watch/search history for supervised accounts.
A More Drastic Option
If you want to reset your recommendations entirely, consider deleting your entire YouTube account. This will delete playlists and paid plans, in addition to resetting the recommendations.
AI Age Verification and Personalized Ads
In other news, YouTube is planning to roll out AI age verification, which will automatically turn off personalized ads for minors. This move is aimed at ensuring a safer and more secure environment for younger users.
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Technology plays a crucial role in shaping YouTube's video recommendations, and clearing your watch and search history is an effective method to reset the algorithm's reference points for better content suggestions (Clear or Delete Your Watch and Search History). In addition, you can manage your YouTube recommendations by utilizing features such as the "Not Interested" option, the "Don't Recommend Channel," or even temporarily pausing watch history (Additional Ways to Improve Your Recommendations).
