January 2026
YouTube Search Filter Changes (Jan 2026) and What Users Are Saying
Sami Kassir
Viewconomy, Founder
What YouTube changed
YouTube has updated its search filters with the stated goal of making search more effective and intuitive.
What changed:
Shorts filter added under “Type”, so viewers can explicitly choose Shorts vs long-form.
“Sort by” renamed to “Prioritize”, positioning the menu as a ranking preference rather than a strict sort.
“View count” renamed to “Popularity”, which YouTube says considers view count plus other relevance signals (including watch time) for that specific query.
Removed filters: “Upload Date – Last Hour” and “Sort by Rating.” YouTube says you can still use the remaining Upload Date filters to find recent results, and Popularity to find highly watched videos.
A separate write-up from SocialMediaToday frames this as: one genuinely useful improvement (Shorts filtering), plus terminology changes that may feel minor, but are still worth noting because they affect what users can do inside search.
The real issue users are raising
The backlash is not just about “Last Hour.”
The strongest theme across comments is that many users feel they have lost true, chronological “sort by upload date” behaviour, or that it is no longer accessible or reliable in the way it used to be.
Why this matters:
The remaining Upload Date filters (Today, This week, This month, This year) are seen as rigid buckets, not a clean timeline.
Users say they now have to scroll through lots of results to find what is actually new since their last search.
Some claim the “Today/This week” filters can surface irrelevant topics or results that do not feel accurately ordered, which damages trust.
The net feeling is: less deterministic search control, more dependence on YouTube’s ranking systems (Relevance and Popularity).
What users are saying (patterns from comments)
Across relevant comments, the feedback clusters into a few repeated points:
“You removed the one filter I actually use.” Many describe upload date sorting as their main tool for discovering new content and avoiding repeat results.
“This reduces user control and increases algorithm control.” A lot of users interpret the change as pushing them toward popular or promoted content, whether or not that is the intent.
“Upload Date buckets are not a replacement.” Users highlight that time windows are awkward when you want chronological order, especially if you miss content by a few days.
Shorts filter is a rare win. Even some critical users acknowledge filtering Shorts vs long-form is genuinely helpful.
User impact is practical, not theoretical. People mention friction when searching time-sensitive topics, tracking updates, or finding smaller creators. Some also mention using Google video search as a workaround, or cancelling Premium.
Overall tone: the messaging of “improved discovery” is not landing, because users feel discovery is worse when they cannot reliably control recency.
Implications and what creators should do next
For viewers
Harder to find genuinely fresh content quickly, especially for fast-moving topics (news, sport, live events).
More scrolling and repeated results if Relevance and Popularity dominate.
For creators (especially smaller channels)
If recency-based discovery weakens, it can become more winner-takes-most, where already popular results stay visible longer.
The new Shorts filter may help audiences intentionally choose Shorts, so format strategy matters more.
Why this matters in the UK
UK consumption is often time-sensitive (football reactions, politics, TV moments, breaking news). Any loss of reliable recency controls tends to be felt immediately.
Practical moves to make now
Do not rely on “freshness search” alone. Build multiple discovery routes: suggested and browse, Shorts, playlists, community posts, and external distribution.
Optimise for Popularity signals, not just clicks. If watch time and query relevance are part of the ranking, retention and clarity matter even more.
Be deliberate about format. Shorts for reach, long-form for depth, and make it easy for viewers to pick what they want.
Simplify packaging. Clear titles and strong thumbnails become even more important when users cannot easily filter by newest.
What to watch next
Whether YouTube brings back a true recency option within Prioritize.
Whether Upload Date filtering becomes more chronological and consistent.
Whether frustration affects Premium sentiment and creator discoverability over time.
