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Clear your YouTube watch history to reset the algorithm
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Has someone else spent time with your YouTube account and messed up the algorithm that used to give you great recommendations? Luckily, you can erase that activity, which is stored in your watch history as well as previous search terms you've entered. This wikiHow article teaches you how to reset your YouTube recommendations on an Android, iPhone, computer, or smart TV. You'll also learn how to pause your YouTube activity so your recommendations aren't affected by random videos.
Easily Reset YouTube Recommendations
- On mobile and smart TV apps, go to Settings > History & privacy to delete all or some of your activity to reset your recommendations.
- On desktop, go to Your data in YouTube > Manage your YouTube history > Delete .
- Once you've deleted your history, don't forget to pause your watching & search history!
Steps
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Open the YouTube app on your Android, iPhone, or iPad. Tap the icon that looks like a white sideways triangle on a red background.- This method works for either iPhones, iPads, and Android phones or tablets.
- Following these steps will help you clear your watch history, which influences what YouTube recommends to you.
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Tap your profile picture. It's in the bottom right corner of your screen.Advertisement -
Tap. It's a gear icon in the top right corner of your screen that opens Settings.
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Tap Manage all history . It's near the middle of the menu. -
Tap Delete . Scroll down to the calendar and magnifying glass icons. You'll see Delete to the right and tapping on it prompts another menu to pop up.- Tap Clear watch history in the pop-up to confirm.
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Select a date range. You can choose to Delete today or Delete all time .- For example, if you let someone use your YouTube account last month and they watched something that you don't normally watch, which influences your recommendations, you can erase the watch history from that specific date range by choosing Delete custom range and choosing the dates the other person used your YouTube account.
- If, instead, someone else watched a few videos that are messing up your recommendations, tap the x next to the video's name that you don't want to be included in the algorithm that suggests videos for you to watch. [1] X Research source
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Go to https://youtube.com and sign in. If you're already signed in, don't worry about that part. Use any desktop web browser for this method.- This method will completely wipe your search and watch history, so recommendations won't be available until the algorithm can calculate your watching habits. Don't erase everything if you don't want to start over again to curate your algorithm.
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Click your profile picture. It's in the top right corner of the page and will prompt a menu to drop down. -
Click Your data in YouTube . It's near the middle of the menu. -
Click Manage your YouTube Search History . This opens a page that displays both your watch and search history. -
Click Delete . You'll see this on the right side of the page and clicking it will open a menu at your cursor. -
Select a time range. Once you select a time range, the associated data will be deleted. For instance, if you let your cousin use your laptop on YouTube for a few hours the other day, you can select Delete custom range and then input a time range for that day to be deleted.- If you want to completely reset YouTube's recommendations, select All Time . [2] X Research source
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Open YouTube on your TV. Select the app that says "YouTube" with a white, sideways arrow on a red background.- This method works for smart TVs and TVs with streaming devices and gaming consoles.
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Select your profile picture. You may need to click a button on your controller to open a menu on the side that acts as your profile picture menu. -
Select Clear History . This menu option can appear for both search and watch history. According to your TV or console, this button may only work for one section (either search or history), so you'll need to repeat the process for the other section.- You can also go to the recommended video you'd like to remove from "Recommendations" and press and hold the "Select" button on your controller or remote. Once the menu pops up, select Not interested and either Not Interested , Don't recommend channel feedback to tune your recommendations algorithm. [3] X Research source
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Open the YouTube app. Tap the icon that looks like a white sideways triangle on a red background.- This method works for either iPhones, iPads, and Android phones or tablets.
- This is the best option to use if you are letting someone else borrow your mobile for a bit so they can browse YouTube. With "Pause" enabled, anything they search or watch will not affect your recommendations.
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Tap your profile picture. It's in the bottom right corner of the app. -
Tap. It's a gear icon that opens Settings in the top right corner of your screen.
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Tapnext to "Your data in YouTube". It's the option below Manage all history .
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Tap YouTube Watch History . If it's on, you'll see "ON" listed and the pictures will be in color. Tapping the arrow expands the menu. -
Tap Turn off . It's under "YouTube History". You'll also see the last date when this was turned off or on.- Confirm your action by tapping Pause . When you confirm your choice and YouTube history is off, the pictures on the page will show in black & white.
- Resume saving your YouTube history by tapping Turn on .
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Go to https://youtube.com and sign in. If you're already signed in, don't worry about that part. Use any desktop web browser for this method.- This method will completely wipe your search and watch history, so recommendations won't be available until the algorithm can calculate your watching habits. Don't erase everything if you don't want to start over again to curate your algorithm.
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Click your profile picture. It's in the top right corner of the page and will prompt a menu to drop down. -
Click Your data in YouTube . It's near the middle of the menu. -
Click On in the "YouTube Watch History" tile. This opens a page that displays your "Activity Controls." -
Click Turn off . You'll see this button next to "On" in the "YouTube History" tile.- Scroll down and click Pause to confirm your choice.
- Clicking one control will pause both your watch and save history, so you don't have to repeat the process to pause other data.
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Tips
- You can only fully remove recommendations from YouTube via a third-party extension on a web browser. It's not possible to do that on the platform itself.Thanks
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References
- ↑ https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6342839?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DiOS&oco=0#zippy=
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/howyoutubeworks/product-features/recommendations/#controls
- ↑ https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6342839?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DiOS&oco=0#zippy=%2Con-your-smart-tv-or-game-console
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