Highlights
- New feature reviews your top channels, interests, and viewing patterns
- Up to 12 cards break down trends from your watch history
- Includes personality types based on viewing habits
- Rolls out in the US first, with global release this week
- Separate from YouTube Music’s annual recap
YouTube introduces a new way to look back at your year
YouTube is launching a year-end Recap feature that gives users a quick look at their viewing habits over the past 12 months. The feature gathers data from watch history and presents it through cards that highlight top channels, key interests, and how users’ tastes shift throughout the year.
The experience marks YouTube’s first attempt at an annual roundup for video viewing, following the popularity of year-end summaries on music platforms.
What the new Recap includes
YouTube says the Recap will display up to 12 personalized cards. These include your most-watched channels, dominant interests, and patterns that define how you use the platform.
Personality types
The feature assigns a viewing “personality type” such as Adventurer, Skill Builder, or Creative Spirit. These categories reflect users’ most consistent viewing habits.
The approach is similar to personality-style breakdowns seen on music services, but tailored for the wide range of content on YouTube.
Rollout across platforms
The Recap feature is available starting today for users in the US and will expand globally this week. It works on both mobile and desktop. Users can find it through the dedicated Recap button on the YouTube homepage or under the “You” tab.
How it connects to YouTube Music
Some music-related stats will appear in the video Recap, such as top artists and songs. However, YouTube confirms that this does not replace YouTube Music’s separate annual review. Users of the music app will still receive a full music-focused recap within that platform.
What trended on YouTube in 2025
To mark the launch, YouTube also released charts showing the most popular creators, topics, podcasts, and songs among US users this year. MrBeast remains the top creator, while The Joe Rogan Experience leads the podcast rankings.
In music, the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack topped general song charts, though it performed differently in Shorts.
