SAN FRANCISCO – YouTube has announced it is retiring its long-running Trending page and Trending Now list, replacing them with a more refined, category-based content discovery feature called YouTube Charts.
In a blog post, the company said the update aims to improve how users discover popular content by organizing it into specific categories rather than presenting all trending videos in one place.
“When we launched the Trending tab in 2015, it was a simple and effective way to showcase viral videos. But with the growth of diverse content formats and user interests, we’ve seen the rise of micro-trends, making a single list less useful,” YouTube stated.
The revamped YouTube Charts will now feature trending music videos, top artists and movie trailers among other categories. The platform plans to add more categories in the near future, enhancing the user experience by offering tailored recommendations.
YouTube also said that the decision was driven by changing user behavior.
“Very few people now visit the Trending tab as most users discover their preferred content through homepage recommendations, subscriptions and search,” the company said.
To determine which videos are trending, YouTube will use a combination of tools and metrics and ensured the viewers are served content that’s both popular and relevant.
The transition from the Trending page to the new Charts system will be implemented in the coming weeks.
