YouTube Custom Feeds and Everything New From Made on YouTube -

Quick answer: At its Made on YouTube event on 23 September 2026, YouTube announced custom feeds, which let you describe what you want to watch and get a separate, AI-built feed for it. Custom feeds are coming to US users first this fall, with no India date yet. Creators also get conversational AI editing for Shorts, Shorts series, video A/B tests and expanded likeness detection.

Made on YouTube is the company’s yearly event for creators and viewers. This year’s announcements lean heavily on Google’s Gemini AI, both for how you find videos and for how creators make them.

Here’s what’s coming, who gets it first and which parts matter if you watch or post from India. For more platform news, see our social media section.

What are YouTube custom feeds?

Custom feeds let you tell YouTube what you want to watch in plain language, instead of relying only on your watch history. According to TechCrunch, you type a description into a prompt box on the home page, and Gemini builds a feed from it. Each feed appears as its own tab pinned to the top of your home page.

The prompts can be detailed. You can say what you want, what you don’t want and what mood you’re in. YouTube’s examples include video podcasts for a 30-minute commute and relaxing commentary videos to unwind with. Android Authority adds examples such as evening documentaries and new DIY creators, and notes the feeds refresh automatically with new recommendations.

Does it replace the normal home feed?

No. Custom feeds sit alongside your regular recommendations. That’s the useful part: if you binge cooking videos for one feed, it shouldn’t flood your main home page with recipes. Keeping interests in separate tabs stops one topic from taking over.

It’s also a quiet admission that the main algorithm can get stuck. If you’ve ever watched one video out of curiosity and then seen dozens more like it, custom feeds give you a cleaner way to explore a topic without retraining your whole home page. The catch is that they depend on how well Gemini understands your prompt, so expect some trial and error with wording before a feed feels right.

When can you use custom feeds?

YouTube says custom feeds are coming “this fall to users in the US across the web, mobile apps, and TVs,” per Android Authority. Social Media Today notes YouTube had been testing the idea with some users since May 2026. Business Today reports there’s no India timeline yet.

What else is new for viewers?

Ask YouTube for shopping: YouTube’s AI assistant can now answer product questions and compare items without stopping the video. Android Authority reports voice interaction is coming on TVs.
Shorts series: creators can group Shorts into seasons and episodes, aimed at short serialised stories. Google’s summary says you’ll also be able to watch Shorts series on TV.
Image posts on TV: image posts on channel pages are coming to the TV app, according to Social Media Today.
Watch With: the shared, live-reaction viewing format is expanding beyond livestreams to eligible long-form videos, per FoneArena.
YouTube Music: Ask Music for finding tracks by description, and Your Podcast Lineup, an AI-generated weekly spoken preview of podcasts.

What’s new for YouTube creators?

Most of the creator news is about AI help with editing and testing.

Conversational editing for Shorts

YouTube is adding a Gemini-based editing assistant to Shorts creation and the YouTube Create app. You describe the edit you want, and it suggests trims, clip order, pacing, music sync and text overlays. YouTube hasn’t given a rollout date for this.

Testing thumbnails and video cuts

Social Media Today reports creators will be able to upload up to three thumbnails per video, with YouTube showing the most relevant one to different audiences. There’s also video A/B testing: FoneArena reports you’ll be able to test up to three different cuts of a video’s opening, marked as “coming soon.”

Studio feedback and brand deals

YouTube Studio will offer AI feedback on drafts, covering pacing, structure and storytelling. Social Media Today reports that Ask Studio can also help draft brand partnership pitches in response to brand briefs.

Likeness detection for faces and voices

YouTube’s likeness detection, which helps creators find AI-generated videos that imitate them, is expanding. FoneArena reports visual likeness controls are coming to the mobile app and speaking-voice detection will combine with face detection, both later in 2026. With AI deepfakes of popular Indian creators common on Shorts, this one is worth watching.

What’s coming for livestreams?

The live features are mostly further out:

Live auto-dubbing: real-time translation of your speech for viewers. Social Media Today reports a pilot in early 2027, starting with English and Spanish.
Live Showdowns: creators go head-to-head in a stream, with fans funding their side. FoneArena puts the rollout in 2027.
Creator matchmaking: a way to find other streamers to collaborate with, also early 2027 per FoneArena.

For Indian streamers, auto-dubbing is the one to note, but Hindi and other Indian languages weren’t mentioned for the first pilot.

Is there anything India-specific?

One item. Social Media Today reports that YouTube’s Shopping affiliate program, which it lists as currently available in the US, UK, Thailand and India, will expand to 35 markets by year-end. It also reports an Amazon partnership launching in India and Brazil, which would let creators tag Amazon products. YouTube hasn’t published Indian commission rates in the material we reviewed, so check YouTube Studio’s Earn section for terms.

If you want to start earning, our guide to YouTube monetization requirements explains the thresholds for joining the Partner Program, which Shopping and most earning tools depend on.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use YouTube custom feeds in India?

Not yet. As of early October 2026, YouTube has only announced custom feeds for US users this fall, across web, mobile and TV. There’s no announced date for India or other countries.

Will custom feeds change my regular recommendations?

They’re designed to sit alongside your main home feed as separate tabs. The idea is that one interest doesn’t take over everything else YouTube recommends.

When does YouTube’s live auto-dubbing arrive?

A pilot is planned for early 2027 in English and Spanish, according to Social Media Today. Other languages haven’t been announced.

Is the AI editing tool free?

YouTube didn’t announce a price for the Gemini editing assistant in Shorts or YouTube Create. It also didn’t give a rollout date, so availability may vary by country.