How to Block YouTube on Android (App and Browser)
How to block YouTube on Android: set an app timer, disable the preinstalled YouTube app, block youtube.com in the browser, and stop it coming back.
YouTube is hard to quit on Android for a simple reason: you probably never installed it. It came with the phone, it often can't be uninstalled, and even when the app is gone, youtube.com is one search away in Chrome.
So blocking YouTube properly takes two steps. You deal with the app, and then you deal with the browser.
The short answer: Open Settings > Apps > YouTube and tap Disable (on most phones YouTube is a system app, so there's no Uninstall button). Then block youtube.com in your browser, for example with a site timer in Digital Wellbeing or a DNS filter like NextDNS. If you only want less YouTube rather than none, set an app timer in Digital Wellbeing instead.
Below are the methods from the gentlest to the strongest, and at the end, why YouTube tends to come back.
Menu names differ between Android versions and phone brands. If a path doesn't match your phone, use the search box at the top of Settings.
Method 1: Set an app timer on YouTube
An app timer gives YouTube a daily budget. When the time is up, the app closes, its icon turns gray and Android shows an App paused message until the next day. On a Pixel you can set the timer to 0 minutes, which keeps YouTube paused all day. It's a good first step if you use YouTube for things you value and want to cap the rest.
Google Pixel (stock Android 16)
- Open Settings > Digital Wellbeing.
- Tap View app activity details.
- Find YouTube and tap the timer (hourglass) next to it.
- Choose a daily limit, or 0 minutes to keep it paused all day, and tap OK.
Samsung Galaxy
- Open Settings > Digital Wellbeing and parental controls.
- Tap App timers, then Apps and app categories.
- Select YouTube.
- Tap Add schedule, choose the days and the time limit, then tap Save.
Other Android phones
OnePlus, Xiaomi and most other brands have Digital Wellbeing or their own screen time feature. Search Settings for "app timer".
Be clear about the limit here: timers reset at midnight, and to use the app again before then, you just delete the timer. Google's own help page says as much.
Method 2: Disable the preinstalled YouTube app
On almost every Android phone, YouTube ships as a system app. That's why you see Disable instead of Uninstall. Disabling is the next best thing: the app stays on the phone, but it stops running, its icon disappears from your home screen and app drawer, and it no longer gets updates.
Google Pixel (stock Android 16)
- Open Settings > Apps.
- Tap See all apps and choose YouTube.
- Tap Disable, then Disable app to confirm.
Samsung Galaxy
- Press and hold the YouTube icon on your home screen or in the app drawer.
- Tap Disable.
You can also go through Settings > Apps > YouTube > Disable. On some Samsung models or carrier versions, the Disable button is grayed out. In that case the most you can do in Settings is hide the icon, which doesn't stop the app from opening through links.
Other Android phones
The path is almost always Settings > Apps > YouTube > Disable. On a few phones YouTube isn't a system app and you'll see Uninstall instead. Use it.
One side effect to know about: with the app disabled, YouTube links from WhatsApp, Reddit or Google search now open in your browser. That's why the next method matters.
Method 3: Block youtube.com in the browser
Chrome on Android has no built-in site blocklist. You have two practical options.
Option A: A site timer in Digital Wellbeing (Pixel, Chrome only)
On a Pixel, Digital Wellbeing can put a timer on single websites you've visited in Chrome. Visit youtube.com once in Chrome first so it shows up.
- Open Settings > Digital Wellbeing and tap View app activity details.
- Find Chrome. The websites you've visited are listed under it (if they aren't, tap Chrome and choose Show sites).
- Tap the hourglass next to youtube.com, set it to 0 minutes and tap OK.
Chrome now shows Site paused instead of YouTube. This only covers Chrome: Samsung Internet, Firefox or any other browser still loads YouTube normally. Samsung's Digital Wellbeing has no site timers, so on a Samsung use option B.
Option B: A DNS filter like NextDNS (every browser and the app)
Private DNS is an Android setting that sends all your phone's website lookups through a service you choose. With a filtering service like NextDNS, YouTube stops loading in every browser and in the YouTube app. Public hostnames like dns.google don't block anything, so you need your own.
- Create a free NextDNS account, so your settings are saved.
- Open the Parental Control tab, tap Add a website, app or game and add YouTube.
- In the Setup tab, copy your personal hostname. It looks like
abc123.dns.nextdns.io. - On a Pixel, open Settings > Network & internet > Private DNS. On a Samsung, open Settings > Connections > More connection settings > Private DNS.
- Choose Private DNS provider hostname, paste your hostname and tap Save.
Use the Parental Control entry, not the Denylist. In our test on a Pixel, adding youtube.com, youtu.be and googlevideo.com to the Denylist blocked the website, but the YouTube app kept working. The YouTube entry under Parental Control blocked both.
If you want YouTube at certain times, Recreation Time on the same tab lets you allow it during set hours, for example 8 to 9 p.m.
Test it by opening youtube.com in a couple of browsers and opening the app. If a browser still loads it, check that browser's own secure DNS setting, which can override yours.
This is the strongest free option in this guide. It's also a single switch in Settings to turn off.
What about only blocking YouTube Shorts?
If the problem is Shorts and not long videos, you may not need to block all of YouTube. The YouTube app now has a Shorts feed limit you can set to 0 minutes under your profile picture > Settings > Time management. On adult accounts it's a prompt you can dismiss, not a hard block. Our guide on how to disable YouTube Shorts covers it step by step, plus the options for iPhone and desktop.
Why YouTube keeps coming back
If you've blocked YouTube before and it crept back, it probably happened in one of these ways.
Undoing it takes seconds. A disabled app has an Enable button in the same spot in Settings, and the Play Store shows one too. An app timer can be deleted. Private DNS can be switched off. Each of these takes less effort than the urge to watch one video.
It comes back through the side doors. With the app disabled, YouTube still plays in the browser, in Google search results, in videos embedded in other apps, and in YouTube Music, which plays music videos. Blocking the app without the browser just moves the habit.
Updates and resets bring it back. A factory reset restores YouTube, and big system updates can re-enable disabled apps on some phones. Check Settings > Apps after an update.
The timer resets every night. App timers and site timers start fresh at midnight. That's by design. They're budgets, not blocks.
None of this means the methods above are pointless. Each one adds friction, and friction works when the habit is mild. But every one of them assumes the person undoing it in a weak moment is the same calm person who set it up. Usually they aren't.
I know this from experience. I tried every blocker I could find and even built my own. Every one of them had a way around it, and at 11 p.m. I always found it.
The permanent option: StoicOS
StoicOS is an Android system that blocks social media, streaming (including YouTube), games, porn and gambling at the system level, using Android's Device Owner permissions. It can't be turned off or uninstalled from the phone. There's no Enable button to find, no timer to delete and no DNS switch to flip.
It blocks the YouTube app and youtube.com in every browser, through a global web blocklist you can extend with your own sites. Calls, messages, maps, banking, music and your learning and productivity apps keep working. If you need an app that isn't on the allowed list, you can request it, and it's approved in under a minute if it fits the policy.
What it doesn't do: StoicOS blocks the whole YouTube app, so you can't keep YouTube and only remove Shorts. If you need YouTube for work or study, a laptop is usually the better place for it anyway.
Setup takes about 10 minutes with a computer (Chrome or Edge) and a USB cable. You don't need a factory reset. It works on Android 9 and up, on Pixel, Samsung, OnePlus and most other phones.
Which method should you pick?
| Method | Can you undo it in a weak moment? | Cost | Effort |
|---|---|---|---|
| App timer | Yes, delete the timer | Free | 2 minutes |
| Disable the YouTube app | Yes, tap Enable | Free | 1 minute |
| Chrome site timer | Yes, and other browsers aren't covered | Free | 3 minutes |
| NextDNS + Private DNS | Yes, turn off Private DNS | Free | 10 minutes |
| Shorts feed limit at 0 | Yes, dismiss the prompt | Free | 1 minute |
| StoicOS | No | From €7/month | 10-minute setup |
If you're starting today, disable the app and set up a DNS filter together. If both are gone within a week, you'll know you need something you can't switch off.
Get your life back with StoicOS
Android 9+ · From €7/month · 30-day money-back guarantee · Not available on iPhone
Related guides
- How to disable YouTube Shorts
- How to check screen time on Android
- Digital Wellbeing on Samsung
- How to block TikTok
- How to block websites on Android
- Apps to stop scrolling
Frequently asked questions
Can I uninstall YouTube on Android?
On most Android phones, no. YouTube is preinstalled as a system app, so Settings only offers Disable. Disabling hides the app, stops it from running and stops its updates, which is close to uninstalling.
What happens when I disable YouTube on Android?
The YouTube icon disappears, the app stops running and it no longer updates. Your Google account and subscriptions aren't affected. YouTube links will open in your browser instead, so block youtube.com there too.
How do I block YouTube in Chrome on Android?
Chrome has no built-in blocklist. On a Pixel you can set a site timer for youtube.com in Digital Wellbeing, which only covers Chrome, or use Private DNS with a filtering service like NextDNS, which blocks YouTube in every browser and in the app.
How do I block YouTube on Android without an app?
Disable the YouTube app in Settings > Apps > YouTube, then set up Private DNS with a filtering service that blocks youtube.com. Both are built into Android. Both can also be switched back on in Settings in a few seconds.
Why does YouTube come back after I disable it?
Usually because re-enabling is one tap in Settings or the Play Store. A factory reset or a large system update can also restore it, and app timers reset every night at midnight.
Can I block only YouTube Shorts on Android?
Yes, partly. Set the Shorts feed limit to 0 minutes in the YouTube app under your profile picture > Settings > Time management. On adult accounts it's a reminder you can dismiss rather than a hard block.
Does StoicOS block YouTube?
Yes. StoicOS blocks the YouTube app and youtube.com in the browser at the system level, and it can't be turned off or uninstalled from the phone. It works on Android 9 and up and isn't available on iPhone.
