YouTube Gets Rid of Its Trending Tab on July 21: Big Shift Coming
YouTube just dropped a huge news nugget: the “Trending” tab is going away for good on July 21. After years of telling folks what videos were blowing up, that space is getting pulled so the site can push more personal, real-time suggestions. Instead of a public leaderboard, viewers will now see hits based on their own watch habits, mixed into the usual Home feed and the growing Shorts section.
Whats Changing Exactly?
YouTube confirms that the move is worldwide, hitting both the website and mobile apps at the same time. Once that date hits, the old link under the Explore tab will vanish and people wont have a single spot to peek at whats trending for everyone. Users can still dig through the Explore area, but the spotlight will be on tailored picks rather than a broad list of viral uploads.
Because of this, every creator, no matter where they post from, will feel the fix, friendly or not. The goal is to serve clips that matter most to each account instead of showing the same viral hits to every account.
Why YouTube Is Making This Change
YouTube says it is closing the Trending page because users habits have changed and creators have asked for a new direction. People now spend more time on custom feeds and Shorts than they do on the old one-size-fits-all Trending list.
According to the company, the majority discover popular clips by scrolling through their tailored Home page or by tapping quick Shorts. With short videos taking center stage, YouTube is rethinking how it shows rising content to keep up with those new viewing patterns.
Personalized Recommendations Are the Future
A big part of the move hinges on YouTubes AI, which watches watch history and engagement to suggest videos that feel right for each viewer. Rather than display a single trending list, the platform aims to give everyone a mix that matches their tastes, hobbies, and mood on that day.
This tailor-made feed already boosts user loyalty and keeps eyes glued to the screen for longer stretches. By retiring the Trending tab, YouTube hopes to simplify the app and move away from features it now views as out of date.
Impact on Creators
Getting on YouTubes old Trending page gave creators a quick burst of fame. Many people worked hard just to land that spot because it felt like proof of their skill and drew new fans.
Lately, though, YouTube has pushed Shorts and algorithm-driven feeds, making Trending less powerful than it used to be. Yes, losing that single trophy sting, but new spots like Shorts, the Community tab, and Live streams now let creators talk directly to people and build an audience day by day.
YouTube is asking anyone worried to relax, saying Most videos that once popped up on Trending are already reaching bigger crowds through the Home page and the Shorts feed.
Shorts Becoming a Central Focus
Anyone scrolling YouTube this year cant miss the powerhouse that Shorts has turned into. In part, the platform copied the quick-hit magic of TikTok and Instagram Reels. Shorts are short, punchy, and because of that, super easy to watch again and again, especially for younger fans.
YouTube just scrubbed the old Trending tab off its menus, so eyeballs will now shift even harder to the Shorts feed, which has already been showcasing the latest viral hits. Pulling the plug on Trending makes it clear: YouTube wants Shorts to sit front-and-center inside the main app, almost stepping into the job that the Trending list used to do.
The company is pouring resources into Shorts-witness the fresh money-making tools and detailed stats theyve rolled out for short clips. Right now, those speedy 60-second videos rack up billions of views every single day, and you can see them popping up more and more across the YouTube layout.
Explore Tab Will Stick Around
The Explore tab, in contrast, is absolutely staying put. YouTube plans to freshen its look by splitting it into separate hubs like Gaming, Music, News, and lots more. Each hub will pull up hot videos for that subject based on where a viewer lives and what they usually watch, rather than using one big global ranking.
The goal here is simple: offer smarter recommendations so users dont drown in every trending clip at once. By sorting content this way, YouTube also hopes to stay more meaningful for different audiences in different places around the world.
Reactions from the YouTube Community
Since the big announcement, fans, creators, and even industry insiders have filled the comment sections with every kind of opinion. On one side, people cheer for YouTube's move, saying it shows the platform can roll with the times and put fresh, personalized videos front and center. On the other side, critics worry that losing a central Trending tab clouds the ability to see what's pulling in viewers worldwide.
Many users argue that the old tab, though far from perfect, still captured the pulse of big moments in culture, politics, and entertainment. Take it away, they say, and discovery could become a rabbit hole, pushing everyone deeper into their own tastes and shutting out wider conversations.
A handful of creators are equally uneasy. They fear the spotlight will shrink even more, making it tough for unknown or up-and-coming talent to break through unless the recommendation algorithm happens to pick them first. Without that broad avenue, fresh voices might get drowned out all over again.
The End of a YouTube Era?
For users who have scrolled YouTube for years, that bright blue Trending box feels almost like an old friend. Loved or ignored, it still kept people posted on the week�s biggest buzz, from fun dance challenges to heated debate clips. Over a decade, the section has flashed every flavor of video and shown how fast online culture really grows.
Dropping the old Trending list looks like YouTube is fully putting its chips on the algorithm. Instead of a one-size-fits-all lineup, the site now leans toward tiny playlists made just for you.
This shift fits a bigger pattern in online entertainment, where giant audiences are giving way to personal streams. Services like Netflix, TikTok, and Spotify already push their viewers toward hand-picked clips, leaving old-school top-ten charts on the sidelines.
Whats Next?
With the Trending tab gone, YouTube clearly wants users to stay hooked by showing exactly what they like. The upside is a feed that feels custom; the downside is fewer moments everyone remembers.
Heres what people will probably notice
⇒Even more tailored options on the Home page.
⇒Shorts getting prime real estate across the whole site.
⇒Registered highlights popping up in the Explore tab.
⇒Less spotlight on viral hits and more on what you personally prefer.
YouTube calls the overhaul part of a long-term plan to keep pace with viewers and make discovering videos faster and more natural. Only time will show if happier fans will help creators grow, or if the shared buzz will fade along with the Trending tab.
Conclusion
YouTube’s decision to pull the plug on the Trending tab as of July 21 is a major shift in how the site shows us new videos. Although YouTube argues that the majority of viewers already trust their own recommended feed, the move officially removes one of the last big, shared entry points for discovering content.
With the spotlight now on Shorts, AI picks, and locally tuned Explore pages, the platform is stepping into a period of ultra-personal storytelling. How smoothly users, creators, and marketers adjust to this fresh setup will shape the long-term health of the YouTube community.
At the same time, the change mirrors a wider trend across tech—moving from one-size-fits-all displays to feeds that feel uniquely ours, even if unseen algorithms make the final call. Judging by early reactions, it is still unclear whether deeper personalization will lead to richer exploration or simply build thicker content walls.
