In early December 2025, YouTube launched a long‑awaited feature: YouTube Recap. The feature gives users a personalized “year in review,” much like Spotify Wrapped does for music. Users can access Recap via the YouTube homepage or the “You” tab.
What You’ll See in Your Recap
Recap presents up to 12 interactive story‑style cards. These highlight your top-watched channels, video interests, and watching habits over the year. Based on what you viewed most, YouTube even assigns a “personality type” — labels like Adventurer, Skill‑Builder, or Creative Spirit — giving a humorous but surprisingly telling reflection of your digital consumption.
For users who spent at least 10 hours on music videos, Recap may also include music‑related stats: favorite artists, favorite songs, and other listening patterns. That said, this isn’t meant to replace the separate music-focused recap that exists in the YouTube Music app.
Why It Matters — For Viewers and Creators
The timing is significant: in 2025, YouTube remains the dominant video platform worldwide, with billions of monthly users and a growing share of global video consumption.
Recap gives viewers an easy, fun way to reflect on their year in content.
For creators and small businesses, this shift highlights just how central personal viewing habits are to the platform’s identity. As audiences increasingly expect personalized, shareable content, Recap may encourage creators to think more deeply about what kinds of channels and content resonate over time.
What You Should Know
- Recap is rolling out in the U.S. first before going global.
- It is not available for all account types — supervised or child accounts may be excluded.
- Recap is designed for entertainment and reflection — YouTube itself cautions that insights remain high-level and may not capture all nuances of user habits.
For content creators, using Recap personally could offer valuable insight into what kinds of content attract or retain watchers over a long period. For viewers, it’s a fun opportunity to see your year on YouTube — what you binged, what you revisited, and perhaps even a peek at your “viewer type.”
