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YouTube has no universal, permanent switch that removes Shorts from every part of its app and website. In the mobile app, the closest official option is Shorts feed limit → 0 minutes—but YouTube says you can dismiss or ignore the reminder. On desktop, a browser extension or content filter can hide more of the interface, though it may need maintenance when YouTube changes its design.
The right method depends on what you mean by “disable”: reduce recommendations, hide the Home shelf, block more entry points, or make viewing harder. The options below distinguish those outcomes so you can choose without mistaking a reminder or a hidden shelf for a complete block.
At a glance: which method should you choose?
- Best official app deterrent: Set the Shorts feed limit to 0 minutes. It triggers a reminder, not an unbypassable lock.
- Best no-install way to reduce Shorts on Home: Choose Show fewer Shorts, then use Not interested on unwanted recommendations.
- Best desktop interface filter: A reputable extension such as Unhook, configured to hide Shorts. It is unofficial and can break after site updates.
- If you need strict limits: Do not rely on the adult Shorts reminder alone. Consider device or supervised-account controls, which restrict access more broadly.
“Reduce,” “hide,” and “block” are different results. A recommendation control can make Shorts less prominent while leaving the Shorts tab and direct links available. A browser filter may remove more entry points, but its coverage depends on its settings.
1. Set the Shorts feed limit to 0 minutes
This is the simplest official option for Android and iPhone users who want a prompt to stop scrolling without installing anything.
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- Sign in to the YouTube mobile app.
- Tap You, then Settings.
- Open Time management.
- Tap Shorts feed limit and select 0 minutes.
- Confirm the choice if prompted.
When you reach the limit, YouTube shows a reminder. The reminder can be dismissed or ignored, so the setting is a deterrent rather than a technical block. It is documented for the mobile app; do not assume the same control exists on YouTube.com. See YouTube’s instructions for the Shorts feed limit.
Best for: someone who wants an official, quick intervention and still wants occasional access. Does not do: remove Shorts from search, channel pages, or direct links.
2. Choose “Show fewer Shorts” on Home
If your main problem is the Shorts shelf interrupting the Home feed, tell YouTube to show fewer of those recommendations:
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- Open the YouTube app and go to Home.
- Find a Shorts grid or shelf.
- Tap More at the top of that section.
- Choose Show fewer Shorts.
This is a recommendation preference for eligible surfaces, not a global Shorts switch. The Shorts tab, search results, channel sections, notifications, and shared links may remain. Shorts can also return, in which case you may need to apply the preference again. The option may not appear on every page or account. YouTube documents the control in its recommendation feedback guidance.
3. Mark individual Shorts “Not interested”
Use this when you want to train recommendations without changing your whole YouTube experience.
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- On a recommended Short, open its More menu.
- Select Not interested.
- If YouTube offers Tell us why, choose the closest reason.
Repeat for unwanted recommendations where the control is available. YouTube uses this feedback to tune recommendations, but it is not a Shorts-specific block. The menu is not available on every surface, and this approach can take repeated effort. It does not stop a Short you search for or open from a direct link.
4. Choose “Don’t recommend channel” for recurring sources
If a particular creator or channel repeatedly fills your recommendations with Shorts, open the video’s More menu and choose Don’t recommend channel, where offered.
This is broader than hiding that channel’s Shorts: it can suppress its other recommended videos too, including long-form videos you might want. Use it for channels you do not want recommended at all, rather than as a general Shorts filter.
5. Reset or pause recommendation history
Watch and search activity influences YouTube’s recommendations. Removing Shorts-related items from your history, deleting relevant searches, or pausing watch history may reduce the signals that lead to Shorts recommendations. You can review activity through Google My Activity; YouTube also explains how activity affects recommendations in its recommendation help page.
This is a broad reset, not a Shorts blocker. Pausing history can make recommendations less personal and remove the convenience of finding what you recently watched. Shorts can still appear through navigation, search, channel pages, or direct URLs. If you want to preserve useful recommendations, try the more targeted controls above first.
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6. Hide Shorts with a desktop browser extension
On desktop, an extension can hide interface elements that the official app controls do not cover. Unhook lists a Shorts-hiding option and is available through browser add-on marketplaces, including listings for Firefox and Edge.
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- Open its settings and enable the Shorts-hiding option.
- Reload YouTube and check the Home page, Subscriptions, search results, and channel pages.
- If blocking direct Shorts links matters to you, test a
/shorts/URL too; hiding a shelf does not necessarily stop playback.
Review the extension’s permissions and publisher information before installing: browser extensions can access data on pages where they run. YouTube redesigns may also change page behavior, and managed computers may block extensions. If the option stops working, check that the extension is enabled and updated, then revisit its Shorts setting.
Best for: desktop users who want more of YouTube’s interface out of view. Trade-off: this is a third-party, browser-specific workaround, not an account-wide YouTube setting or a guaranteed playback block.
7. Use a content blocker or custom filter
Experienced desktop users can use a content blocker’s maintained filters or element picker to hide Shorts shelves, tabs, links, and other interface elements. This can be more granular than a single preference, but the result depends on the blocker and rules in use. There is no one filter recipe that should be treated as permanently reliable.
Prefer a maintained filter list or the blocker’s built-in element picker over copying arbitrary rules. A broad rule can hide ordinary videos or break navigation, and a YouTube update can make a filter stop matching. If normal content disappears, disable your custom rules, turn off other YouTube extensions one at a time, reload the site, and re-enable only the Shorts-specific filter that works.
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A filter may hide links without blocking a direct URL or embedded player. Test the specific entry points you want to restrict, and treat the setup as a convenience filter rather than a guaranteed access-control system.
8. Use YouTube in a browser instead of the mobile app
If you are willing to give up the official app interface, open YouTube in a mobile browser that supports content filtering. Depending on the browser and operating system, this may let you apply browser-side blocking that is unavailable inside the YouTube app.
The experience can differ: notifications, casting, offline downloads, account integration, and background playback may not work the same way. Browser behavior and filters can also change. Avoid random modified YouTube apps or APK downloads; they introduce security, privacy, account, and update risks and are not a dependable default solution.
Which approach fits your goal?
- You want a gentle nudge on your phone: Set the Shorts feed limit to 0 minutes.
- You mainly want a cleaner Home page: Use Show fewer Shorts and mark persistent recommendations Not interested.
- You want to suppress a few creators: Use Don’t recommend channel, knowing it may suppress their long-form videos too.
- You want fewer algorithmic recommendations overall: Review or pause watch history, accepting the broader effect on personalization.
- You want a cleaner desktop interface: Configure a reputable extension or maintained content filter, then test each surface you care about.
- You need a child or dependent user to face stricter limits: Use supervised-account or device-level parental controls rather than relying only on a dismissible reminder.
For most people who want to preserve normal YouTube use, start with the 0-minute reminder and Home-feed feedback. Add a desktop filter only on the devices where recommendations remain a problem. If your goal is maximum focus, a useful compromise is to open YouTube directly to Subscriptions or a chosen playlist rather than Home, while keeping in mind that this does not remove Shorts from every surface.
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The Shorts feed limit setting is missing
Check that you are in the official YouTube app and that it is up to date through the App Store or Google Play. Then check You → Settings → Time management again. Labels and availability can vary with app version, account, region, managed or supervised status, and staged interface changes. If the option remains unavailable, use Home-feed feedback or a desktop filter as a fallback; do not assume the feature is available on the mobile website.
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Shorts return after you hid them
Show fewer Shorts and recommendation feedback reduce recommendations; they do not delete Shorts from YouTube. Repeat the feedback when the option appears. On desktop, check whether your extension was disabled or its Shorts setting changed after a browser update.
A direct Shorts link still opens
That is expected with the official recommendation controls: they do not block playback. A browser filter needs to address the direct /shorts/ route as well as shelves and links, and its coverage should be tested. No claim that one setting blocks Shorts in notifications, embedded players, smart TVs, consoles, or every other surface should be assumed.
A filter hides normal videos too
Turn off custom rules first, then disable other YouTube extensions one by one and reload. Check whether you enabled a setting that hides all recommendations rather than only Shorts. Clear or reset the relevant extension rules if needed, then enable only the Shorts-specific control.
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Some vertical or square videos are classified as Shorts. YouTube says square or vertical videos up to three minutes uploaded to standard channels on or after October 15, 2024 can be categorized as Shorts. A filter may therefore hide a video you would otherwise have watched as a regular upload. See YouTube’s Shorts classification guidance.
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