How to stop seeing videos from a channel on YouTube

No matter how advanced algorithms get, none will understand your YouTube viewing preferences better than you. With that in mind, YouTube is adding a few new features that will give users more control over which videos appear in their homepage and Up Next suggestions. The changes will roll out beginning today on Android and iOS, and they'll arrive on desktop soon.

YouTube admits that it doesn't always get its suggestions right, so it will let users remove suggested channels that they don't want to watch. You'll be able to click the three-dot menu next to a video and select "don't recommend channel." YouTube will also attempt to make it easier to find content you do want. When you scroll up on your Homepage or Up Next, you'll be able to select categories related to your interests. The goal is to help users find what they're looking for faster. YouTube will also clue users into why they're seeing a particular video suggestion -- like because they viewed similar content in the past or other viewers with similar interests have liked it.

YouTube's algorithms have come under fire for everything from facilitating a "soft-core pedophilia ring" to pushing extremist content and suggesting conspiracy videos related to 9/11 misinformation, miracle cures and more. The new features don't address those issues, but at least now you have some control over what appears in your feed. If you watch one flat Earth video, you won't be subject to an endless stream of crazy.

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Nothing is more frustrating than opening the YouTube home page and seeing recommended videos about knitting when you'd rather see cute puppies running around. You've never looked up anything about knitting, so why does YouTube think you like it? Fortunately, YouTube has come up with a solution by giving you more control over your home page and Up Next videos.

Making a few changes to your settings will put you in charge of your YouTube experience and show you more personalized videos -- like stuff you actually want to see. 

The new update works on Android and iPhone ($289 at eBay) now, and is coming to your desktop soon.

Stop seeing unwanted video suggestions

You have two ways of getting rid of those unwanted video suggestions -- you can either tell YouTube not to recommend a specific channel or simply say you're not interested in watching a certain video.

Option one

Step 1. From your YouTube home page on your phone, tap the three dots next to the video you don't want to see.

Step 2. Select Don't recommend channel.

Step 3. A box will appear that says "We won't recommend videos from this channel to you again." You can select More Info or Undo. 

Step 4. If you select More Info, you'll be redirected to the Google Support page explaining how you can manage your recommendations and search results.

Option two

Step 1. From your YouTube home page on your phone, tap the three dots next to the video you don't want to see.

Step 2. Select Not interested.

Step 3. A box will appear that says Undo or Tell us why.

Step 4. If you select Tell us why, tap either I've already watched the video or I don't like the video.

Continue doing this for videos and channels you don't like. This will personalize your YouTube account to hopefully weed out the videos you're not interested in watching, and train YouTube not to show them to you again.

Want to know more YouTube tips? Check out these 9 hidden YouTube features we found.

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