Overview
- YouTube announced the lineup of features at its Made on YouTube event on Sept. 23, rolling many updates into staged releases that start 'soon' for U.S. users and continue through late 2026 into early 2027.
- Custom Feeds will let users type natural-language prompts to create and save dedicated homepage tabs that refresh with content for specific moods or interests, with a U.S. web, mobile, and TV rollout planned soon.
- Ask YouTube, the conversational search feature built on Google’s Gemini models, will add shopping workflows that surface organized video recommendations, comparison tables, and follow-up questions, including voice use on TV.
- New creator features include Ask Studio on mobile, AI draft feedback, dynamic thumbnails, A/B testing for up to three video cuts, and a conversational editing assistant for Shorts and YouTube Create to speed production.
- YouTube will pilot live auto-dubbing in early 2027, expand its Shopping affiliate program to 35 countries by year-end, and faces cautious creator reaction over AI accuracy, discoverability shifts, and moderation needs.