After years of complaints about algorithm bias and stale content, YouTube has finally retired its Trending tab as of July 2025. The company is replacing it with personalized, AI-powered Charts and Explore pages that cater to regional and category-specific content discovery.

What’s new?
The revamped interface will highlight:

  • Real-time viral content by genre (music, gaming, education, etc.)

  • Regional popularity metrics

  • Creator spotlights and niche content push via AI curation

Why YouTube made the move:
Trending was often criticized for favoring mainstream creators and clickbait. In contrast, the new system promises to democratize visibility, letting local creators and niche content break through more easily. YouTube is also betting that AI curation will keep users more engaged by surfacing content aligned with their interests and values.

What creators should know:
If you're a content creator, this shift means metadata and content personalization are more important than ever. Tags, descriptions, engagement metrics, and watch time will directly influence your discoverability in the new system.