YouTube Is Retiring the "Trending" Tab After 10 Years — Thematic Charts Coming Instead
-
Big change coming to YouTube's discovery features: the platform is officially phasing out the "Trending" tab in the next few weeks, according to Variety. After a decade of surfacing viral videos in a single feed, YouTube says it’s time to move on.Instead of one generic list, users will now see themed charts like:
Popular Music Videos Top Podcasts of the Week Trending Trailers
YouTube says more categories are on the way.
Why the shift? YouTube explains that when the "Trending" section launched in 2015, it made sense to highlight a single list of viral videos. But the landscape has changed. Now, there’s a wider variety of fandoms, niches, and localized trends that a one-size-fits-all list just doesn’t capture anymore.
The platform believes themed charts will better reflect the true diversity of popular content.
Also worth noting:
Personalized recommendations aren’t going anywhere — they’ll still show up on your homepage and feeds. Creators will continue to get tools and analytics to track what’s performing well with their audiences.
It’s a notable shift in how YouTube surfaces what's hot — more focused, more curated, and arguably more useful in the current content ecosystem.
Thoughts? Will anyone miss the old Trending tab?