Copyright Android Police
There’s a moment every YouTube user knows. You open the app to watch a single video, and two hours later, you’re still scrolling through a feed of recommendations that feel uncomfortably relevant. YouTube has perfected the art of knowing what you want to watch before you do. And lately, I’ve started to wonder if that’s actually a problem. YouTube’s recommendation system remembers your niche interests, tracks your evolving tastes, and never runs out of things to show you on your phone. But that same precision is also what makes it so difficult to walk away. The algorithm that knows you too well It’s beginning to feel like a trap YouTube’s recommendation engine has become one of the most powerful personalization systems in existence, and it’s both brilliant and unnerving. The longer you linger on a video thumbnail, the more weight it gains in your next batch of recommendations. Even when you don’t click, YouTube is learning. In theory, this makes for a better experience since the platform evolves with you. My homepage looks completely different from my friends’. It’s full of videos about movie analysis, productivity systems, and restoration videos. But there’s a downside to that personalization. It builds a comfort zone so perfectly tailored that it becomes hard to step outside it. When everything you see feels perfectly curated, it’s easy to forget that the platform is simply showing you what’s most engaging. That might mean content that keeps you clicking, and not necessarily something that expands your perspective. YouTube Shorts and the shrinking attention span The TikTok-ification of everything When YouTube launched Shorts, it was clearly trying to keep up with TikTok. But in doing so, it rewired how its users consume video. YouTube managed to take TikTok’s formula and merge it with its own hyper-accurate recommendation engine. The result is a bottomless pit of quick videos that learn exactly how long you’ll stay before swiping away. And when you start scrolling through Shorts, it’s hard to stop. The design mimics TikTok’s infinite feed, where every swipe promises something even more stimulating. The worst part is that YouTube heavily pushes Shorts even in search results. If you look up almost anything now, there’s a good chance you’ll see a row of Shorts taking up the top section before you even get to traditional videos. While Shorts are great for a quick laugh or trick shot, they’ve shifted the platform’s balance, making it harder to slow down and actually watch something. How I’m trying to take control back YouTube’s algorithm may feel unstoppable, but it’s surprisingly easy to nudge it in your favor. Here are a few things I did that made a difference. Train the algorithm Every time I see a Short or a video I don’t want, I tap Not interested or Don’t recommend channel. Within a week or two, the tone of my feed started to change. At the same time, I make a point to engage with the good stuff. I let some videos play longer, leave comments on creators I like, and save or share content that aligns with my interests. Bypass the Home tab The YouTube Home tab is a carefully tuned buffet of everything you may be vaguely interested in. Even if you open the app to watch a specific video, that first screen can derail you in seconds. So, I stopped using it altogether. Instead of opening YouTube and scrolling through the homepage, I go straight to the Subscriptions tab or my Watch Later playlist. It instantly reduces mindless scrolling. Using a separate account I created a second account for light, casual viewing, like movie clips, music, and random entertainment. My main account is for productivity and learning. This separation keeps my main feed clean and consistent while still allowing me to enjoy YouTube’s lighter side when I want to unwind. If you’re constantly fighting your recommendations or feel like YouTube doesn’t “get” you anymore, starting fresh with a new account might be the best option. Using playlists Playlists are one of the easiest ways to take control of what you watch next instead of letting the algorithm decide. When I find a video I want to watch, I add it to my playlist. When I have downtime or want to learn something new, I open that playlist instead of scrolling through recommendations. That way, I’m not chasing whatever’s trending. Don’t let Shorts hijack your search I’ve built a small routine to bypass Shorts in my search results. After searching, I tap the Videos tab under the search bar. It filters out Shorts and shows only regular uploads. If I’m looking for something in more depth, I go one step further. I tap the three-dot menu icon next to the search bar, select Search filters, and choose the duration as Over 20 minutes. It’s an underrated trick that helps surface detailed explainers without wading into endless Shorts. Reclaiming my YouTube feed YouTube has mastered the art of engagement, but at the cost of exploration. It gives us exactly what we want, and in doing so, limits what we might want next.
