Where Is the YouTube Subscriptions Tab? It Moved to Home

If you're wondering where the YouTube Subscriptions tab went, the short answer is that it hasn't disappeared. YouTube moved it. On iPhone and Android, the tab is now labeled "Subs" and lives inside the Home tab's new top bar.

To find it, open the app, tap Home, then tap Subs, which sits second in that top row, right after Home itself. Anyone used to tapping the bottom bar for subscriptions now needs to reach for the top of the screen instead.

YouTube announced the change on Oct. 22 in a TeamYouTube Help Community post, without specifying an exact rollout schedule. The redesign affects the YouTube app on iPhone and Android, though it hasn't specified which app versions or regions get it first.

Where did the YouTube Subs tab go on iPhone and Android?

Subscriptions had held the fourth slot in YouTube's bottom bar since 2017, according to 9to5Google. With Subs gone, the bottom bar is down to four icons: Home, Shorts, the Create button, and You.

The redesigned Home tab places Subs alongside other dedicated feeds at the top of the screen. YouTube also removed the previous navigation drawer, but it hasn't removed its other category shortcuts entirely. The new More menu provides access to Gaming, Podcasts, Playables, Memberships, and Movies & TV.

YouTube hasn't published a rollout schedule for the redesign. The TeamYouTube announcement doesn't specify when the new layout will reach every user, which means some readers may still see the old bottom-bar Subscriptions tab while others already have the new layout.

Why did YouTube move subscriptions off the bottom bar?

YouTube says the redesign is meant to give viewers more direct access to the content they enjoy, describing it as the beginning of a series of Home updates featuring dedicated feeds and personalized features.

The layout wasn't built overnight. 9to5Google reports that YouTube began testing it earlier this year, which means the design had already undergone months of testing before the October announcement.

The shift comes with a noticeable trade-off: channels someone chooses to follow now sit inside Home, one tap deeper than the old bottom-bar shortcut, sharing the same top bar with recommended content feeds such as Live and Music.

YouTube Home tab subscriptions feed now shares space with new content tabs

Subs isn't the only addition to that top bar. YouTube added dedicated feeds for Live, Music, and Movies & TV, which appear alongside Subs across the row.

The Movies & TV feed appears in the top bar for viewers with active Primetime Channel subscriptions or YouTube TV add-ons. Other viewers can find Movies & TV through the More menu, according to YouTube's official feed guide.

Alongside the navigation change, YouTube introduced Custom Feeds, a tool for building a personalized tab around a topic, a set of channels, or a mood. It works differently enough from the Subs move that it's worth explaining separately.

How YouTube's Custom Feeds work

To build one, tap the "+" at the top of Home and describe what you want in plain language. YouTube's example involves asking for guided meditations under 10 minutes to help unwind after work, and the app assembles a feed around that description.

Once created, a custom feed is saved as its own tab at the top of the screen, appearing after Home and Subs so it's easy to revisit. Each feed has a prompt box that lets you change its focus without starting over.

Feeds built on a phone sync to desktop when the viewer is signed into the same Google account on both. Free accounts can keep up to three active custom feeds at a time, while YouTube Premium subscribers can save as many as eight.

There's also a retention limit worth knowing: custom feed prompts expire after 30 days of inactivity, after which the feed is no longer available.

YouTube first previewed the feature in September, describing it as a way to create a personalized front page for specific moods, routines, or interests. The company initially said it would reach web, mobile, and TV.

The October rollout announcement confirms availability is expanding on mobile and desktop. YouTube hasn't confirmed that the new Custom Feeds experience has reached TVs as part of this rollout.

What to check before relying on YouTube's new Custom Feeds

Access is narrower than the Home redesign itself. YouTube says Custom Feeds are rolling out to signed-in viewers in the US who are 13 or older, with English-language support on mobile and desktop.

There are two history requirements worth checking. YouTube's current documentation says both watch history and search history must be enabled to use Custom Feeds. The device language must also be set to English.

Anyone who doesn't see the "+" button after updating the app should check those settings before assuming the feature is broken.

YouTube also notes that feeds and the redesigned top bar aren't visible when watch history is paused or turned off. That matters for anyone who can't find Subs in the expected location despite having the updated interface.

YouTube says it's working on bringing Custom Feeds to more users and regions, without offering a timeline. That commitment covers Custom Feeds specifically. YouTube hasn't provided the same detailed eligibility requirements or rollout schedule for the broader navigation redesign.

What's confirmed for the redesign, and what isn't

The navigation change, meaning Subs moving into Home's top bar alongside Live, Music, and Movies & TV, has been confirmed by YouTube and reported across its iPhone and Android apps.

Custom Feeds has narrower, explicitly stated conditions: a signed-in US account, age 13 or older, English device language, mobile or desktop access, and both watch and search history enabled.

None of YouTube's current documentation attaches those same regional and account requirements to the navigation redesign itself, though the company hasn't confirmed its full rollout scope either.

What to do right now

Open the YouTube app to check which layout is showing. If Subs is already sitting in Home's top bar, it's one tap away, right after Home.

If Subscriptions is still in the bottom bar, YouTube hasn't published a rollout schedule, so updating the app or changing a setting isn't guaranteed to force the redesign to appear.

If the new top bar is missing entirely, check whether watch history is paused or turned off, since YouTube identifies that as a reason the feeds may not appear.

Anyone wanting to try Custom Feeds should confirm they're signed into a US account, are 13 or older, have their device language set to English, and have both watch and search history enabled before assuming the "+" button is missing or broken.