YouTube has rolled out its annual Recap feature to users across the United States and other global regions, offering a fairly detailed look at individual listening habits from the past year. You can find it in both the YouTube Music app and the main YouTube mobile app for Android and iOS. It gathers data on your top artists, your most played songs, the total minutes you listened, and even the specific genres you leaned toward without always realizing it. In a way, the update feels like YouTube’s answer to Spotify and Apple Music’s year-end summaries, giving users easily shareable statistics and a set of personalized photo cards that people often enjoy posting online.
Key Takeaways
- The Recap feature is available now on the YouTube Music app and the main YouTube mobile app.
- Users must listen to at least 10 hours of music to generate a personalized report.
- The feature allows you to integrate personal images from Google Photos for a custom presentation.
- You can download distinct statistic cards or share them directly to Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook.
- The platform automatically generates a playlist of your top 100 songs which you can save to your library.
Finding your Recap feels pretty straightforward once you know where to look. You will need the latest version of the YouTube Music app, so after opening it on your phone, tap your profile picture in the top right corner. From there, you should see the Recap button in the menu. Sometimes a banner appears on the home feed too, something like “Your Recap is here,” which helps if you tend to overlook menu items the way I occasionally do.
The main YouTube app also provides access. You can type “Recap” into the search bar or open the Music tab to see a dedicated playlist and a “Get your Recap” button that launches the story-style experience. If nothing shows up, it might be because you haven’t listened quite enough yet. YouTube requires at least 4 hours of music streaming across the Google ecosystem for the basic seasonal stats, though getting to 10 hours usually unlocks the richer annual report.
Understanding Your Stats and Features
The Recap moves through several panels that feel a little like Instagram Stories. It highlights your Top Artist and total listening minutes, and it identifies your Music Mood based on the overall tempo and genre patterns in your daily choices. One feature that stands out is the Google Photos integration. The app looks for images from your camera roll that match the timeframe of your top songs, almost creating a small digital scrapbook that pairs your personal moments with the music you played at the time. It feels a bit sentimental, perhaps more than you expect from an algorithm.
How to Share and Save
Sharing these statistics is really the central part of the experience. At the bottom of each slide, you will see a Share arrow. Tapping it opens quick options for Instagram Stories, Facebook, and other supported apps. If you prefer keeping things stored locally, you can tap the download icon to save the image to your phone’s gallery so you can upload it wherever you like.
If you want to keep listening to your top tracks, look for the card labeled “Your Recap Playlist.” This lists your top 100 songs from the year in order of how often you played them. Tap the Add to Library button, usually shown as a plus sign or a simple save icon, and the playlist becomes part of your permanent collection. It’s a convenient way to revisit the songs that shaped your 2024 listening habits long after the seasonal Recap disappears.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Why is my YouTube Recap not showing up?
A.You may not have enough listening history. The platform requires a specific amount of music streaming time to generate data. Also, check that your app is updated to the latest version via the App Store or Google Play Store.
Q. Can I view my YouTube Recap on a desktop computer?
A.The visual story presentation is primarily designed for mobile devices. While you can listen to your Recap playlist on a desktop browser, the interactive stats and shareable cards are mobile-exclusive features.
Q. Does watching music videos count toward my Recap?
A.Yes, music videos watched on the main YouTube app count toward your total listening time and influence your top artist and song ankings, provided you are logged into the same Google account.
Q. How do I disconnect Google Photos from my Recap?
A. If you prefer not to see your personal photos, go to the YouTube Music settings, select “Data & privacy,” and toggle off the option for “Manage Google Photos integration” or “Photo memories.”
