YouTube is an online video-sharing and social media platform owned by Google. While it generally works fine, these days some users are getting the message “Your watch history is off. You can change your setting at any time to get the latest videos tailored to you” while trying to access the platform. If you are also seeing the error message, in this article, you will learn different ways by which you can fix “Your Watch History Is Off” on YouTube.
How To Fix “Your Watch History Is Off” on YouTube?
The reason behind this “Your watch history is off” is due to a recent homepage upgrade. As per this new update, if you turn off your watch history, YouTube will not suggest any videos to you on the homepage.
Formerly, YouTube used to suggest videos to you on the home page, but they would be less personalized for your tastes. This is due to the algorithm’s ability to figure out which videos you are interested in. The upgrade caused significant anger among users. These users claim that turning on their watch history violates their privacy.
For the unaware, the YouTube watch history feature shows a list of videos you’ve previously viewed. This feature can be disabled or enabled based on your choices. However, if you turn it off, YouTube will not be able to recommend videos to you and will instead show you a message.
Update Settings To Enable
The first thing we need to do to resolve the “Your watch history is off” issue on YouTube is to enable your watch history.
On PC
1. Click on Update Settings on the page where you see the error message.
2. On the next screen, click on Include the YouTube videos that you watch.
3. Once done, go back to the YouTube website and refresh the page.
On Mobile App
1. On the page where you are seeing the issue, tap on Update Settings.
2. Select the checkbox for Include the YouTube videos that you watch on the next screen.
3. Finally, go back and refresh the homepage.
From Settings
You can also manage, review, and enable the watch history from your Google account. Here’s how you can do it:
On PC
1. Visit YouTube’s My Activity Page in a browser. Make sure you are logged in to the same account.
2. Tap on Saving your YouTube history.
3. From the page that appears, select the checkbox for Include the YouTube videos that you watch.
On Mobile App
1. Click on your profile photo in the YouTube app.
2. Select Settings from the menu that appears, then tap on Manage All History and select an account.
3. Next, click on Saving your YouTube history.
4. Tap on Include YouTube videos you watch to enable it.
Once done, return to YouTube’s homepage and refresh it.
Clear Cache Data
If you are still seeing the same screen on your mobile device even after enabling the feature, you need to clear the YouTube cache. Here’s how you can do it:
1. Press and hold the YouTube app icon and tap on App Info or the ‘i’ icon.
2. Click on Storage & Cache, Manage Storage, or Clear Data, depending on the Android phone you use.
3. Finally, click on Clear Cache to remove the cache data.
If you use an iPhone, go to General Settings and tap iPhone Storage. Select YouTube from the list and tap on Offload App, then confirm the action.
(Fixed) Your Watch History Is Off on YouTube
So, this was all about how to get rid of the “Your Watch History Is Off” message on YouTube. I hope you find this article helpful; if so, share it with your friends and family.
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