YouTube is preparing to phase out its long-running ‘Trending’ section, marking a major shift in how the platform surfaces viral videos. Within the next couple of weeks, the familiar Trending page and the ‘Trending Now’ list will officially disappear, as YouTube redirects its efforts toward expanding YouTube Charts and personalised recommendations.

The company says its YouTube Charts, which currently showcase top-performing music videos, podcasts, and movie trailers, will become the primary destination for users to discover what’s hot. “Back when we first launched the Trending page in 2015, the answer to ‘what’s trending’ was a lot simpler to capture with a singular list of viral videos that everyone was talking about,” YouTube explained in a recent blog post. “But today, trends consist of many videos created by many fandoms, and there are more micro-trends enjoyed by diverse communities than ever before.”

In the meantime, fans of gaming content can still find trending videos on the dedicated Gaming Explore page, while YouTube promises more category-specific charts will roll out over time.

The decision comes as the way viewers discover viral content has evolved dramatically. According to YouTube, users increasingly rely on Shorts, search suggestions, and rival platforms like TikTok to keep up with trends. This shift has caused a notable drop in traffic to the Trending page, “especially over the last five years.”

Some creators have voiced frustration with the old Trending system, pointing out that big brands and traditional media accounts often dominate the list, leaving independent creators struggling to get noticed despite high view counts. To help address this, YouTube is encouraging creators to use the Inspiration Tab in YouTube Studio for AI-generated ideas and explore new tools like the Hype promotional system, which allows viewers to boost videos onto a wider leaderboard.

Ultimately, YouTube hopes these changes will make it easier for fans to discover videos that match their interests — and give up-and-coming creators a fairer chance at being seen.