1. If you don't have your YouTube activity history enabled, the algorithm doesn't remember what you've watched and you'll probably get clickbaity/junky recommendations.
2. If you have set your history to expire after some amount of time, it will start re-recommending videos you've already seen once it has forgotten you have watched them.
You can set both options here:
It would be nice if Youtube offered a feature where the recommended lists are completely removed and youtube simple loads as a search bar. Where you find what you are looking for without distractions.
I've done this myself by adding the following rules to ublockorigin:
www.youtube.com##ytd-watch-next-secondary-results-renderer.style-scope.ytd-watch-flexy
www.youtube.com###comments.ytd-watch-flexy.style-scope
www.youtube.com##ytd-browse.ytd-page-manager.style-scope[page-subtype="home"]
www.youtube.com##ytd-guide-renderer
www.youtube.com##ytd-vertical-channel-section-renderer
It wouldn’t make sense for them to show objectively “crappy” content to every new visitor, just to get OP to turn on their recommendations. What we consider crappy is what other people consider entertaining.
1 Iv had my YT history disabled for >5 years now. Recommendation still works just like for everyone else.
2 Even when enabled it will always keep recommending videos you already watched.
I’m uncertain on how cookies are maintained. Are these Safari cookies behind the scenes?
My point is, contrary to GP’s claim, there is some mechanism for viewing history even if it is turned off.