YouTube has jumped into the year-end recap game. The video giant rolled out YouTube Recap on December 2, 2025, across North America, with global availability expected throughout this week. It’s a direct competitor to Spotify Wrapped, giving users a personalized summary of their 2025 viewing habits.
What YouTube Recap Actually Does
The feature generates up to 12 personalized cards showcasing your top channels, viewing trends, and how your interests evolved over the year. But here’s what makes it interesting: YouTube assigns you one of eight personality types based on your viewing behavior – Sunshiner, Wonder Seeker, Connector, Adventurer, Skill Builder, Creative Spirit, Philosopher, or Dreamer. The first three are most common, while Philosopher and Dreamer are the rarest.
If you’re a heavy YouTube Music user, your Recap also includes your top artists, songs, genres, and podcasts.
your 2025 YouTube Recap is loading 📣 discover the channels and passions that defined your year.
tap the 'You' tab in the app or go to https://t.co/k5sOCmHAej. just make sure you’re logged into the account you use to watch. pic.twitter.com/TiasO4BsEW— YouTube (@YouTube) December 2, 2025
How to Access It
Finding your Recap is straightforward. Head to youtube.com/recap, check your homepage, or tap the “You” tab in the YouTube app on mobile. It’s available on both desktop and mobile platforms.
What You Should Know First
YouTube invested serious effort here – nine rounds of user feedback and over 50 concept tests went into the final product. The feature was clearly built with user input in mind.
One important caveat: YouTube Recap is completely separate from YouTube Music Recap, which continues to operate independently. If you meet Music Recap’s criteria (10+ hours of listening between January and November), you’ll get that too.
According to CNET, the feature isn’t available for children or supervised accounts – though YouTube hasn’t officially published the full eligibility requirements yet. This is a notable gap, especially given how detailed their requirements are for YouTube Music Recap.
The Bigger Picture
This move shows YouTube is serious about competing in the year-end recap space, where Spotify Wrapped has dominated for years. It’s also a comeback of sorts – YouTube discontinued its annual YouTube Rewind series in 2021 after years of mixed reception. This Recap is decidedly more personalized and less focused on global trends.
Bottom line: If you’re a regular YouTube watcher, check your Recap this week. It’s a fun way to see what actually consumed your time on the platform in 2025 – even if YouTube’s still figuring out some of the details.
