1. Pause or Clear Watch History
- Pause Watch History:
- Go to YouTube History Controls → Manage All History → Controls.
- Toggle “Pause Watch History.”
- From then on, YouTube won’t track what you watch for recommendations.
- Clear Watch History:
- On the same page, click “Clear all watch history.”
- This resets the algorithm, so it won’t recommend based on your past.
2. Use “Not Interested” & “Don’t Recommend Channel”
On each unwanted suggestion (homepage, sidebar, or mobile app):
- Click the three-dot menu → choose “Not interested” or “Don’t recommend channel.”
- Over time, this trains the algorithm, but it can be tedious if you want a clean slate.
3. Sign Out or Use Incognito
- If you don’t care about subscriptions/history syncing, watch signed out or in Incognito Mode (available in the app and browsers).
- This prevents YouTube from saving your watch history altogether.
4. Separate Profiles
- Create a new Google account or use browser profiles.
- This lets you keep, say, woodworking content separate from random one-time searches (music, politics, etc.).
5. Extensions / Frontends (Advanced)
If you want more control:
- Extensions: e.g. Unhook (Chrome/Firefox) lets you hide the homepage, sidebar, and end-screen suggestions.
- Alternative frontends: Sites like Invidious or Piped let you watch YouTube without being tracked or flooded with recommendations.
