How to Reset YouTube Recommendations (Every Option Explained)

Does your YouTube homepage seem stuck in a rut? One late-night rabbit hole and suddenly everything is cooking videos, or conspiracy theories, or a topic you researched for a client once. I see this all the time with people who use YouTube for work as well as fun. The good news is that YouTube's help pages describe several ways to steer your feed, from a gentle nudge to a full fresh start. Here's the list, from lightest touch to biggest reset.

What shapes your YouTube recommendations

According to YouTube's help centre, your recommendations and search results are based on your activity, including your watch history, your search history and the videos you like or dislike. YouTube may also use your wider Google Account activity. That's why a reset isn't one button. It's a set of dials, and you choose how many to turn.

Tell YouTube you're not interested in a video

The lightest option is feedback on a single video. On a computer, YouTube's help pages say to click More, the three dots next to the video title, then click Not interested. For some videos you can click Tell us why and pick a reason, such as having already watched it.

On a smart TV, go to the recommended video, press and hold the select button on your remote, and choose Not interested, then Tell us why if you want to give a reason. Use this when one video type is cluttering your feed but you don't want to wipe everything.

Stop a channel from being recommended on YouTube

If a particular channel keeps showing up, click More next to one of its videos, Shorts or posts, then choose Don't recommend channel. You'll find the option under Tell us why on a TV. It stops that channel being suggested, but it doesn't block it from your search.

Show fewer Shorts on your YouTube feed

In the mobile app, go to Home and scroll to a grid of Shorts. Tap More at the top of the grid, then tap Show fewer Shorts. That's helpful if the vertical videos have taken over your homepage. If you've done it and want to undo it, YouTube says to go to My Activity on the web instead, as covered below.

A broader reason a feed can feel thin is described in my piece on why the YouTube feed is so short, which is worth reading alongside this one.

Remove your likes to reset YouTube recommendations

Likes count, so clearing the ones that no longer reflect your taste helps. YouTube's help centre says liking, disliking and removing likes all shape recommendations. The steps are in the Liked videos playlist: choose More beside a video, then Remove from Liked videos.

Clear your Not interested feedback and start again

If you've told YouTube Not interested too many times and the feed feels over-corrected, you can clear that feedback. YouTube's help pages give these steps:

1. Go to myactivity.google.com and sign in if asked.
2. Select Other Google activity in the left menu.
3. Select YouTube 'Not interested' feedback.
4. Select Delete.

The same area has a Show fewer Shorts entry. Select Delete there to clear that choice.

The full YouTube recommendations reset: delete your history

The biggest reset is wiping the activity that recommendations are built on. YouTube's help centre says you can start fresh by deleting your watch and search history. After you delete history, YouTube states it won't base future video recommendations on that content.

On a computer, go to My Activity, open YouTube History, then Manage history, and delete what you want gone. On the app, tap your profile photo, then Settings, then Manage all history. I've written separate full steps for deleting YouTube watch history, so I won't repeat them here.

Pause history instead of deleting it

Maybe you don't want to lose your history, you just want to stop adding to it for a while. YouTube's help pages say you can turn off watch or search history so they stop influencing recommendations and results, and turn them back on when you're done. That's a sensible choice if you're researching something unusual for work and don't want it shaping your homepage afterwards.

What a fresh YouTube feed looks like afterwards

If you have little or no recent watch history, YouTube's help pages explain that some features, such as homepage recommendations, are removed or reduced. Don't panic if your homepage looks sparse. Watch a handful of videos you enjoy, follow a few channels, and the suggestions rebuild around your new choices.

Using a separate account for work research on YouTube

If you keep ending up here because of client research, consider a different approach. Use a second account or browser profile for work, and keep your personal one clean. My guide to switching accounts on YouTube explains how, and turning off autoplay on YouTube stops the next video choosing itself.

If your YouTube recommendations still look wrong

• Check you're signed in to the account you meant to reset.
• Remember YouTube may use wider Google Account activity, so check myactivity.google.com too.
• Give it a few days of watching what you like before judging the results.
• Try a combination: remove likes, clear Not interested feedback, and delete history.
• Signed-out viewing can look different, so compare on the same device.

Related guides live in the YouTube Help: 30 Guides to Channels, Subscribers, Monetisation, Thumbnails and Fixes.

Frequently asked questions

How do I reset my YouTube recommendations?

YouTube's help pages say you can start fresh by deleting your watch and search history. You can also remove likes and clear Not interested feedback.

How do I tell YouTube I'm not interested?

Click More next to the video, then choose Not interested. You can choose Tell us why to give a reason.

How do I clear Not interested feedback on YouTube?

Go to myactivity.google.com, select Other Google activity, then YouTube 'Not interested' feedback, then Delete.

Can I stop YouTube recommending a channel?

Yes. Click More next to a video, Short or post from that channel and choose Don't recommend channel.

Will my homepage go blank if I delete my history?

It may look sparse. YouTube says features like homepage recommendations are reduced when there's little or no recent watch history.