YouTube Recap brings annual viewing summaries to NZ

YouTube has launched its first personalised annual viewing summary for users in New Zealand, introducing YouTube Recap as a local feature for the first time.

The service gives signed-in viewers a customised highlight reel of their activity on the platform over the year. It uses a set of cards that draw on individual watch history.

YouTube Recap appears on the homepage and in the "You" tab on mobile and desktop. Users can also access it through a dedicated Recap page.

Personal viewing story

The new feature breaks a user's viewing year into up to 12 digital cards. Each card focuses on a specific theme such as top channels, key interests, or changes in viewing habits over time.

One card assigns a "personality type" based on the kinds of videos a user watched most often. Other cards highlight the channels that dominated a user's watch time.

YouTube said it ran nine rounds of feedback and tested more than 50 design concepts before finalising the format. The company examined patterns in viewing behaviour and grouped them into distinct persona labels.

These personas include categories such as Adventurer, Skill Builder, and Creative Spirit. They reflect different patterns of content discovery and consumption.

YouTube said some persona types appear more often than others. It found that Sunshiner, Wonder Seeker, and Connector were the most common, while Philosopher and Dreamer appeared less frequently.

The service treats the watch history as a narrative over the year. It tracks shifts in topics or creators as users move through different interests.

Music and podcasts

YouTube Recap extends into audio content for people who used YouTube Music during the year. This part of the experience presents top artists and songs and a summary of how often a user listened to them.

It also shows top genres and podcasts. One section gives a snapshot of listening across different countries for those who stream international music.

Users who listened to at least 10 hours of music receive a separate Music Recap. This links from the main Recap story into a more detailed view inside the YouTube Music app.

Music and video viewing are presented in different sections. This separates long-form viewing from listening behaviour and podcast consumption.

Gaming focus

The product also surfaces games that featured prominently in a user's watch history. Insights on top games form part of the overall Recap package.

This gaming view includes titles that appear most often in watched content. It can include playthroughs, reviews, livestreams, and creator commentary, depending on the viewer's habits.

The company said the inclusion of games reflects the scale of gaming content on the platform. It also reflects the role of gaming communities in shaping viewing trends.

Sharing and social use

Each Recap card includes sharing and download options. Users can post cards to social networks or save them to their devices.

The design uses a card format that fits vertical and square layouts. This supports reposting on platforms that favour short-form visual content.

The Recap will remain available until the end of the calendar year. Users can revisit it by returning to the "You" tab and selecting the Recap banner.

YouTube expects that many viewers will distribute their summaries among friends and followers. The feature is intended as a personal record and as shareable content.

Access and limits

YouTube Recap is available only for signed-in accounts in supported regions and languages. The feature does not cover children or supervised accounts.

Users must meet the local age of consent threshold for their country. Eligible viewers then receive a Recap based on the videos and music they watched while signed in.

Those who use YouTube without logging in do not receive a personalised summary. The feature also does not aggregate viewing across multiple separate accounts.

New Zealand joins a wider rollout of personalised year-end digital summaries across major platforms. These products offer users a retrospective look at the content they consumed and shared.

"Are you ready for a trip down memory lane? Revisit your favorite interests, discoveries, and moments with your Recap. And don't forget to save and share your memories with friends!" said YouTube.