YouTube has announced several new features and tools for viewers and creators at its 2026 Made on YouTube event. The updates cover content discovery, video creation, live streaming, community engagement and creator businesses.

The announcements were made by YouTube CEO Neal Mohan in a company blog post yesterday. Youtube is introducing Custom Feeds, which will allow users to create personalised feeds based on their interests, mood or routine. Users will be able to save multiple feeds on their homepage. The feature will initially be available soon to users in the US on web, mobile and TVs. YouTube is also expanding Ask YouTube to help users find and compare products and explore artists and podcasts.

For creators, YouTube is introducing a conversational editing tool across Shorts and the YouTube Create app. YouTube Studio will also offer personalised feedback, channel-matched thumbnails and video A/B testing, allowing creators to test up to three different video cuts.

YouTube is also adding new tools for live content and communities. These include Live Showdowns, an expanded Watch With feature and Live auto dubbing. Live Showdowns and Live auto dubbing are planned for 2027, while the expanded Watch With feature will start rolling out later this year. YouTube is also introducing members-only spaces and testing AI-powered comment moderation.

The platform is also expanding its creator business tools. YouTube Creator Partnerships is available in 20 countries, while Ask Studio will help creators prepare responses to brand briefs and create pitches. YouTube is also expanding its Shopping affiliate programme to 35 countries by the end of 2026.

YouTube is further adding likeness detection to its mobile app, allowing creators to enrol, receive match alerts and take action. The company will also integrate speaking voice detection with facial detection to improve match accuracy and protect creators’ likenesses.