Clean your feed: Avoid the YouTube slop
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Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
Welcome back to our mini-series on how to clean your social media feeds.
This time we're zeroing in on YouTube. YouTube is now flooded with engagement bait and AI-generated content — often recycled, repackaged and optimized for clicks.
Why it matters: The more you watch passively, the more the platform assumes you want the same. If you want better recommendations, you have to interrupt the cycle.
YouTube has cracked down on repetitive and mass-produced content and what qualifies to earn ad revenue. The goal is to prevent serving up the same video, repackaged and retooled over and over.
There are several ways to clean up your feed — some gradual, some drastic:
- Remove, remove, remove: This is YouTube's simplest fix. Click the three dots next to a video and select "Not interested" or "Don't recommend channel." Over time, this trains the algorithm away from content you don't want.
- Hit pause: You can pause your watch history to prevent your algorithm from recommending anything tied to your past viewings. Go to "Settings," then "Manage all history," then "Controls." From there, turn off "Include the YouTube videos you watch." Newly watched videos won't be added to your history — or shape your feed.
- Inspire the feed: This is a more tedious route. Watch more of what you actually want to see. The more you consistently watch videos on certain topics, the more YouTube will recommend them.
- Just log out: Simply log out of your YouTube account and return as a "guest" (which is especially useful on the TV app). Search for the videos you want from a clean slate. The app may still recommend items based on what you watch as a guest, but a few intentional searches can quickly reshape that new feed.
- The nuclear option: Delete everything. Head to "Settings," then "Manage all history." Click "Delete" and then "Delete all time." Your watch and search history is gone, your algorithm resets and you start fresh. It might take time for your recommendations to be based on what videos you watch next.
The bottom line: YouTube gives you more of what you watch, whether it's high or low value. Starve the junk. Focus on content that serves you.
