YouTube Launches Its First Recap Feature

YouTube has unveiled its inaugural Recap feature, designed to give users a personalized year-end summary of the videos they watched. Drawing inspiration from Spotify Wrapped, which provides insights into users’ music habits, this new tool takes YouTube viewing experiences to the next level. While YouTube Music has offered similar recaps for years, the main platform now introduces a distinct summary focused solely on video content.

According to a company press release, “YouTube Recap uniquely highlights interests, deep dives, and moments you explored this year, based on your watch history.”

Availability and Rollout

The Recap feature became available to North American users on Tuesday, December 2, with a global rollout planned throughout the week. Before launch, YouTube conducted nine rounds of user feedback and tested over 50 different concepts, ensuring the final product caters to diverse viewing habits.

How to Access YouTube Recap

Accessing Recap is simple and works across Android, iOS, and desktop platforms:

1. Open the YouTube app or website.
2. Sign in to your account.
3. Tap the ‘You’ tab on the homepage.
4. A banner labeled “Your Recap is here” will appear below profile details.

If the banner does not appear, users can access the recap directly through a browser at youtube.com/Recap.

Features of YouTube Recap

YouTube Recap presents users with up to 12 personalized cards highlighting:

• Top Channels
• Key Interests
• Viewing Habit Trends

In addition, the feature assigns a personality type based on users’ video consumption throughout the year. Examples of personality types include:

• The Sunshiner
• The Wonder Seeker
• The Connector
• The Philosopher
• The Dreamer (rare and elusive)

For music lovers, Recap also displays Top Artists and Songs of the year, linking video and audio experiences.

Alongside Recap, YouTube has introduced trend charts, spotlighting the top creators, podcasts, and songs of the year, providing a snapshot of global viewing trends.

Why YouTube Recap Matters

YouTube Recap offers more than just statistics; it provides a personalized reflection of a user’s digital habits, helping viewers rediscover content they loved and understand their evolving interests. By blending analytics with entertainment, Recap turns year-end summaries into a fun, shareable experience.

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Sorit Chaudhary

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