How to Reset the YouTube Algorithm: Step-by-Step Guide to a Fresh Feed

Want your YouTube Home feed to stop showing random videos you don’t care about? The good news is—you can reset and train the YouTube algorithm so it shows more of what you actually like.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to clear away the unwanted stuff, add your real interests, and keep your feed clean on desktop, mobile, and TV.

Whether you want a full reset or just a small fix, we’ll show you how to clear your YouTube data, adjust the algorithm without deleting everything, and keep your recommendations in order.

What the YouTube Algorithm Really Tracks (and Why It Matters)

Before you reset, it’s good to know what signals control the YouTube algorithm. YouTube mostly learns from:

• Watch history and watch time (especially videos you watch to the end)

• Search history and past queries

• Likes, dislikes, comments, and subscriptions

• “Not interested” and “Don’t recommend channel” feedback

• Click behavior on thumbnails and topic chips

• Device, language, and region signals (for local content)

Put simply, your behavior is the biggest signal. Accidentally binge something irrelevant, and the YouTube algorithm will shift instantly. But by watching focused content, you can just as quickly guide it back on track.

Decide: Clear vs. Fix

There are two clean pathways:

• If you want a blank slate, learn how to clear YouTube algorithm fully by deleting your YouTube watch and search history and pausing it going forward.

• If you want to keep some of your watch history, you can fix the YouTube algorithm by removing videos or topics you don’t like and teaching it what you do want to see.

Both routes work. The “clear” path is faster, while the “fix” path is gentler.

How to Clear YouTube Algorithm Completely (Start Fresh)

The steps below will delete the history that shapes your video suggestions. Because this impacts your account across devices, consider exporting your data first via Google Takeout if you want a backup.

Important: Deleting history is permanent and may affect your YouTube Music recommendations as well.

Desktop (Web)

1. Open YouTube and sign in.

2. Click the left menu > History.

3. Click “Clear all watch history” on the right, then hit confirm.

4. Click “Manage all history” to open the Google “My Activity” page.

5. Choose “Delete” > “All time” for YouTube History.

6. In Controls, toggle “YouTube History” off to pause it going forward (optional but useful).

To target searches too:

• In the same “My Activity” area, filter by “Search history” and delete all time, or use YouTube’s History page > “Clear all search history.”

Tip: If your goal is how to clear YouTube algorithm as fully as possible, make sure you delete both watch and search history and then pause history for a while.

Android (YouTube App)

1. Tap your profile picture > Settings.

2. Tap “History & privacy.”

3. Tap “Clear watch history” and confirm.

4. Tap “Clear search history” and confirm.

5. Turn on “Pause watch history” (and also “Pause search history” if you see it).

6. Optionally tap “Manage all history” to open Google’s YouTube History and delete “All time.”

iPhone/iPad (YouTube App)

1. Tap your profile picture > Settings.

2. Go to “History & privacy.”

3. Tap “Clear watch history” and “Clear search history.”

4. Switch on “Pause watch history” (and “Pause search history” if you see it).

5. Tap “Manage all history” if you want to delete “All time” on the Google page.

Smart TV / YouTube on TV

1. Open YouTube on your TV.

2. Go to Settings > History & data.

3. Select “Clear watch history” and “Clear search history.”

4. If your TV is shared, consider using a separate profile or a different account so your living room doesn’t retrain your main feed.

Also Clear Browsers/App Data (Optional)

If you’ve used YouTube signed out:

• On desktop browsers, clear cookies/site data for YouTube.com so signed-out recommendations and autocompletes reset.

• On Android, you can also “Clear storage” for the YouTube app (note: this logs you out and resets app settings).

• On iOS, remove and reinstall the app if you want a full local reset.

Pause History to Keep It Clean

After you clear, pausing “YouTube History” stops new watch data from shaping recommendations. This is handy if you want to browse casually without long-term effects.

• On desktop, from “Manage all history,” toggle off “YouTube History.”

• In the app, go to Settings > History & privacy and enable “Pause watch history.”

This is the most reliable way to keep the slate clean while you decide what to watch next.

How to Fix YouTube Algorithm Without Deleting Everything

Prefer to keep your watch history? You can still control your feed. If you want to fix the YouTube algorithm in a smart way, follow these steps:

1) Remove What You Don’t Want

• Go to Home and Shorts feeds.

• For any unwanted video:

  • Click the three dots > “Not interested.”

  • Optionally select “Tell us why” to specify the reason.

  • Choose “Don’t recommend channel” for repeat offenders.

• In History, remove videos that triggered poor recommendations:

  • YouTube > History > find the video > “Remove from watch history.”

Spend 10–15 minutes to quickly remove the topics you don’t like most.

2) Seed What You Want (Watch with Intent)

The YouTube algorithm mostly cares about watch time. To retrain it fast:

• Search for the topics you want more videos about.

• Watch 3–5 high-quality videos to completion.

• Like, subscribe, and comment on channels you genuinely enjoy.

• Add promising videos to “Watch later.”

• Use topic chips on Home (e.g., “Photography,” “Python,” “Travel”) and click videos you actually want more of.

Do this for every topic you like. Adding good videos teaches YouTube faster than only blocking bad ones.

3) Separate Contexts to Avoid Cross-Contamination

• Use a separate Google account or a YouTube Brand Account for different interests (e.g., work vs. hobbies).

• Create a second Chrome/Edge profile for work-related YouTube.

• Use Incognito for one-off curiosity clicks, reviews, or spoilers.

This works best if you often switch between very different types of videos.

4) Tune Shorts Separately

Shorts strongly influence recommendations because sessions can be long.

• In the Shorts feed, long-press or tap the three dots > “Not interested.”

• Remove Shorts from history if needed: History > remove specific Shorts.

• Avoid doom-scrolling off-topic Shorts; even a few minutes can mess up your feed.

5) Manage Autoplay and Up Next

• Turn off “Autoplay” so you don’t get pulled into videos by accident.

• Be selective with “Up next.” If you don’t actually want more like it, stop the video early.

6) Align Language, Region, and Notifications

• Settings > General > Location and Language can influence local content.

• Turn off irrelevant notifications that pull you back to unwanted topics.

These small changes add up in a few days and make your recommendations better.

Pro Tips to Keep Recommendations Clean

• Use “Auto-delete” for YouTube history (e.g., every 18 months) from “Manage all history.”

• Go to “Your data in YouTube” (Profile > Your data in YouTube) to quickly find your controls.

• If you share devices, dedicate a separate profile on smart TVs and tablets.

• Don’t click what you don’t want. Even one long watch can nudge the YouTube algorithm.

• For creators: Use a separate account for research into trends and competitors so your main account stays focused.

Troubleshooting: When the Feed Doesn’t Budge

If your Home feed still looks wrong after a reset or cleanup, try this:

• Confirm you deleted both watch and search history (“All time”) under “Manage all history.”

• Make sure “YouTube History” is turned off to pause it, or on to actively retrain your feed—choose based on what you want.

• Give it time: after a clean slate, watch 10–20 videos across your preferred niches over 2–3 days.

• Clear out any leftover videos in your History and use “Don’t recommend channel” more often.

• Make sure you’re signed in everywhere. A shared TV or tablet might be changing your feed without you knowing.

• Clear browser cookies or app data if you often watch signed out.

• Revisit language/region settings if you’re seeing content from the wrong locale.

If you’re still stuck, the fastest fix is a fresh Brand Account dedicated to your new interests.

FAQs: Resetting and Retraining the YouTube Feed

Q1) Will clearing history delete my subscriptions or playlists?

No. Clearing your watch/search history only affects recommendations. Subscriptions, playlists, and uploads remain intact.

Q2) How long does it take for the YouTube algorithm to set after a reset?

Typically 24–72 hours of normal viewing after a reset. It speeds up if you watch several videos to completion in the niches you want.

Q3) Can I reset YouTube Shorts separately?

Shorts use the same underlying history. Remove Shorts from History, long-press “Not interested” on Shorts you dislike, and avoid extended off-topic Shorts sessions.

Q4) Do VPNs or changing location fully reset my feed?

No. They can influence local content, but your account’s watch/search history is the primary driver. Use history controls for a real reset.

Q5) What’s the safest approach if I don’t want to lose my history?

Use the tune-up path: remove off-topic items from History, apply “Not interested,” and seed new interests. Or set up a new Brand Account for a separate feed.

Q6)How do I reset my YouTube algorithm?

Follow this quick sequence:

• Clear watch and search history: YouTube > History > Clear all watch history and Clear all search history.

• Go to Manage all history (Google’s YouTube History) > Delete > All time. You can also turn off YouTube History to pause it.

• Prune: On Home and Shorts, mark Not interested and Don’t recommend channel; remove off-topic videos from History.

• Seed: Watch 3–5 videos to completion for each topic you want; like, subscribe, and add to Watch later.

• Keep it clean: Disable Autoplay, use separate profiles/Brand Accounts for different interests, and use Incognito for one-off searches.
  This is the best way to reset and retrain the YouTube algorithm.

Q7)Can you reset your algorithm?

You can’t reset YouTube for everyone(global algorithm), but you can reset your own recommendations.. Clearing your watch/search history, using Not interested/Don’t recommend channel, and then watching desired topics effectively “resets” your feed. If you want a totally separate slate, create a new Brand Account. If you prefer how to fix YouTube algorithm without deleting everything, just prune and retrain.

Q8)Does clearing YouTube history reset recommendations?

Yes. Clearing both watch and search history removes the signals YouTube uses to personalize Home, Up Next, and Shorts. Your feed will temporarily show generic/popular content until you re-seed it by watching what you actually want. For a thorough reset, delete All time in Manage all history and consider pausing YouTube History. Subscriptions and playlists are not affected.

Final Thoughts

You don’t have to keep a messy YouTube Home feed. Now you know how to clear or fix the YouTube algorithm, so you can reset it, retrain it, and keep it showing videos you actually enjoy.

Decide first—do you want a full reset or just a quick tune-up? Then follow the steps above, and within a few days your feed will look much better. Stay consistent with your habits, and the YouTube algorithm will adjust to you.