The YouTube homepage feed can be either a compelling showcase of personalized recommendations or a frustrating list of irrelevant videos. It all depends on how well Google’s algorithms interpret your viewing habits and suggest content you’re likely to enjoy. Of course, you won’t always click what appears in that feed—and no one can blame you if you prefer to visit favorite channels or search directly for specific clips instead. Aware of these algorithmic shortcomings, Google is now experimenting with a way to make YouTube’s home feed more customizable, powered by—you guessed it—an AI chatbot.
According to Android Authority, YouTube’s new “Your Custom Feed” experiment allows users to chat with an unspecified AI in natural language about their interests. For those already using conversational AI tools like ChatGPT or Google’s Gemini, this could feel instantly familiar. The ability to refine results through everyday language—whether while shopping with ChatGPT or navigating Google Maps—is becoming a standard feature across digital platforms. And given that Google continues expanding Gemini’s presence across its ecosystem, adding conversational AI to YouTube seems like a natural next step. After all, Gemini already helps users discover content on Google TV.
How YouTube’s AI chatbot works
As intriguing as the idea sounds, YouTube’s AI customization can’t be activated manually. In a support document, Google explains that a “Your Custom Feed” button will appear on the homepage—right beside the “Home” tab—for those included in the test. Clicking the chip allows users to refine their recommendations with a simple text prompt. This, Google says, offers “an easy-to-use way to have more control over your suggested content.”
So far, Google hasn’t shared screenshots or confirmed whether the feature will appear on both mobile and desktop versions. It’s also unclear if users will be able to hold multi-turn conversations with the chatbot or if the prompts will be limited to one-off commands. Another open question is which AI model powers the system—though it’s likely related to Google’s Gemini lineup, the company’s umbrella for all its generative AI tools.
While Google continues weaving Gemini into more of its products, there’s no guarantee this experiment will succeed. Many users may feel uneasy about chatting with an AI inside YouTube, particularly if they haven’t used tools like ChatGPT or Gemini before. For now, “Your Custom Feed” remains an experiment—but one that could reshape how millions of people discover videos on YouTube.
