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Notes on YouTube usage patterns and what we learn from analyzing real Google Takeout data.
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YouTube Wrapped 2026: how to make your own year in review
Spotify has Wrapped. YouTube doesn't. Here's how to generate the equivalent from your real watch history — total hours, top patterns, biggest binge day.
May 29, 2026 · 4 min read
How to download your YouTube watch history (Google Takeout, 2026)
The complete 2026 guide to exporting your YouTube watch history with Google Takeout — including the trick that makes the file 100× smaller and 100× faster.
May 29, 2026 · 7 min readHow to see your total YouTube watch time (3 ways that actually work)
YouTube doesn't show your lifetime watch time anywhere in the app. Here are the only three ways to get the real number — and which one is most accurate.
May 29, 2026 · 6 min readHow much time do people actually spend on YouTube?
We crunched our own takeout (and a few others) to see the typical number of hours, videos, and channels. The averages are higher than you'd expect — but not for the reason you think.
May 28, 2026 · 5 min read