YouTube removes Subscriptions tab from mobile after nearly a decade

Alongside the navigation shake-up, YouTube is rolling out custom feeds that let you describe what you want to see in your own words. Tapping the plus icon at the top of the Home feed opens a prompt box where you can type a request, for example asking for guided meditations under ten minutes to unwind after work. YouTube then builds a feed around that description.

Custom feeds appear as top tabs after Home and Subs, and they sync to the web as well. Each feed keeps a prompt box at the top so you can adjust it later. According to 9to5Google, free users can save up to three active custom feeds, while YouTube Premium members can save up to eight.

The feature is initially rolling out on mobile and desktop, in English, to signed-in viewers based in the United States. YouTube says it will expand to more countries going forward.

If you watch YouTube on your phone every day, expect the first few days after the update to feel awkward. The Subscriptions shortcut you have been tapping since 2017 is now at the top of the screen rather than the bottom, which is a longer reach on large phones. You can still get to your subscriptions in one tap, but your thumb will need retraining.

There is no announced availability date for Tunisia, and custom feeds are limited for now to English-language users in the United States, so the full redesign may reach local users in stages. YouTube has not given a price change or a Premium requirement for the core navigation update, meaning free users keep access to Subscriptions and can save up to three custom feeds when the feature arrives. Anyone who relies on the old layout, especially heavy subscribers, has reason to care about how the rollout is handled.