How to Disable YouTube Shorts on Android, iPhone and Desktop
How to disable YouTube Shorts on Android, iPhone and desktop: the zero-minute Shorts limit, hiding the shelf, browser extensions, and what actually sticks.
You open YouTube to watch one video you actually searched for. Twenty minutes later you're deep in the Shorts feed, thumb on autopilot, and the video you came for is still unwatched.
That's not a lack of discipline. Shorts is built to be the easiest thing on the screen, so turning it off makes sense.
The short answer: YouTube still has no real "turn off Shorts" switch. The closest thing is the Shorts feed limit in the YouTube app: sign in, tap your profile picture, go to Settings > Time management > Shorts feed limit and choose 0 minutes. Shorts then opens to a limit prompt instead of the feed. On adult accounts that prompt has an Ignore for the day button, so if you want Shorts gone for good, you have to block the whole YouTube app.
Below are the methods from easiest to strongest, for Android first, then iPhone and desktop.
Method 1: Set the Shorts feed limit to zero (Android and iPhone)
This is YouTube's own setting. It launched in October 2025 with limits from 15 minutes to 2 hours, and in April 2026 YouTube added a zero-minute option that is rolling out to all accounts, including adults.
On Android
- Open the YouTube app and make sure you're signed in. The limit only exists on a signed-in account.
- Tap your profile picture (the You tab).
- Tap the gear icon to open Settings.
- Tap Time management. On some versions it sits under General > Time management.
- Tap Shorts feed limit and choose 0 minutes.
- Close YouTube fully and open it again so the change applies.
On iPhone
The steps are the same in the YouTube app for iOS: profile picture > Settings > Time management > Shorts feed limit > 0 minutes.
What you get: when you open Shorts, YouTube shows a limit prompt with two buttons, Go to home and Ignore for the day, instead of the feed, and Shorts mostly disappear from the home feed. Some single Shorts can still show up in search or on channel pages.
What you don't get: a hard block. On an adult account, one tap on Ignore for the day and you're back in the feed. If you don't see the option yet, update the app. The rollout is gradual and it may not have reached your account.
Method 2: Hide the Shorts shelf for 30 days
Before the feed limit existed, this was the standard trick. It still helps if you only want the Shorts row gone from your home feed.
- Scroll your YouTube home feed until you see the Shorts shelf.
- Tap the X next to the shelf, or the three dots on a Short and then Not interested or Show fewer Shorts.
- YouTube confirms the shelf is hidden for 30 days.
The catch is in step 3. After 30 days the shelf comes back, and the Shorts tab at the bottom of the app is untouched the whole time. Use this as a supplement to Method 1, not instead of it.
Method 3: Limit the whole YouTube app (Android and iPhone)
Shorts lives inside YouTube. If the Shorts limit is too easy to dismiss, the next step up is a timer on the entire app. Once it runs out, the app closes, its icon turns gray and it stays paused until the next day. On a Pixel you can even set it to 0 minutes, which keeps YouTube paused all day.
Menu names change between Android versions and phone brands. If a path below doesn't match your phone, type "app timer" into the search box at the top of Settings.
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 time, 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 others ship Digital Wellbeing or their own screen time tool. Search Settings for "app timer" or "screen time".
iPhone
On iOS 27, go to Settings > Screen Time > Time Allowances and set a daily allowance for the category YouTube falls under (usually Entertainment). iOS 27 replaced per-app limits with these category allowances. On iOS 26 and earlier, go to Settings > Screen Time > App Limits > Add Limit, pick YouTube and set a time. Either way, a limit you set for yourself can be ignored when it runs out.
For the full set of options on Android, including disabling the YouTube app and blocking youtube.com in the browser, see our guide on how to block YouTube on Android.
On a computer: hide Shorts with a browser extension
The Shorts feed limit is a mobile app setting. On youtube.com in a desktop browser, you have two options.
The X on the Shorts shelf. On the YouTube homepage, click the X next to the Shorts row. Same as on mobile, it hides the shelf for 30 days.
A browser extension. Unhook is an extension for Chrome, Edge and Firefox that hides Shorts, the homepage feed, recommended videos and comments. Each one is a separate checkbox, so you can keep search and subscriptions and remove everything else.
- Install Unhook from your browser's extension store.
- Click the Unhook icon in the toolbar.
- Turn on Hide Shorts. Turn on Hide Home Feed too if the homepage is where you get pulled in.
It's a good setup for a laptop. It's also one click to turn off, and it does nothing for the YouTube app on your phone.
If you're a parent: block Shorts on a teen's account
In January 2026, YouTube announced that parents can set the Shorts timer to zero on supervised teen accounts. On those accounts the limit is strict instead of a prompt the teen can dismiss, so Shorts is blocked while regular videos keep working. Look for it in the YouTube app under Settings > Family Center, or in Google Family Link under the teen's YouTube settings.
This is the only place where YouTube offers a real Shorts block. It doesn't exist for your own adult account.
What about modded YouTube apps?
You'll see modified YouTube apps recommended on Reddit that strip Shorts out completely. They're unofficial, they need to be installed from outside the Play Store, and they break YouTube's terms of service. You'd be giving a third-party build access to your Google account. We don't recommend them, and they're no harder to undo than the official options, because the regular YouTube app is one download away.
How easy is each method to undo?
Be honest with yourself about this part. Every method above is meant for a calm moment, and every one can be undone in a weak moment.
The Shorts feed limit is one tap on Ignore for the day. The hidden shelf comes back by itself after 30 days. An app timer can be deleted in Digital Wellbeing in a few seconds, and on iPhone you can ignore a limit you set for yourself. A browser extension is one click in the toolbar.
None of that makes these methods useless. If Shorts is a mild habit, the zero-minute limit plus a hidden shelf might be all you need. But if you've already been through "set a limit, tap past it" a few times, another limit won't change the ending.
The permanent option: block YouTube with StoicOS
StoicOS is an Android system that blocks social media, streaming (including YouTube), games, porn and gambling at the system level. It can't be turned off or uninstalled from the phone. You decide once, and after that there's no limit to dismiss and no timer to delete.
To be clear about what it does here: StoicOS can't block only Shorts and keep the rest of YouTube. It blocks the whole YouTube app, and youtube.com in the browser too. If you need YouTube for lectures or tutorials and only want Shorts gone, Method 1 is the better fit, and a laptop with Unhook is a good place for the videos you actually need.
But for many people, Shorts is most of how they use YouTube on the phone. If that's you, removing the app isn't a loss. Calls, messages, maps, banking, music and your learning and productivity apps keep working.
Setup takes about 10 minutes with a computer and a USB cable, and you don't need a factory reset. It works on Android 9 and up. There's no iPhone version, because Apple doesn't allow this level of control.
Which method should you pick?
| Method | Can you undo it in a weak moment? | Cost | Effort |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shorts feed limit at 0 minutes | Yes, Ignore for the day | Free | 1 minute |
| Hide the Shorts shelf | Yes, it returns after 30 days | Free | Seconds |
| App timer on YouTube | Yes, delete the timer or tap Ignore | Free | 2 minutes |
| Unhook (desktop) | Yes, one click | Free | 2 minutes |
| Teen account Shorts limit at 0 | No, not without the parent | Free | 5 minutes |
| StoicOS (blocks all of YouTube) | No | From €7/month | 10-minute setup |
A good starting point: set the Shorts feed limit to zero today. If you catch yourself dismissing it within a week, you have your answer.
Get your life back with StoicOS
Android 9+ · From €7/month · 30-day money-back guarantee · Not available on iPhone
Related guides
- How to block YouTube on Android
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- How to block Instagram
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- How to stop doomscrolling
Frequently asked questions
Can you turn off YouTube Shorts completely?
Not on a regular adult account. The closest option is setting the Shorts feed limit to 0 minutes in the YouTube app, but the limit prompt has an Ignore for the day button. Only supervised teen accounts get a Shorts limit that can't be bypassed.
Where is the Shorts feed limit in the YouTube app?
Tap your profile picture, then the gear icon for Settings, then Time management, then Shorts feed limit. On some app versions Time management is under General. You need to be signed in to see it. If you still don't see it, update the app, because the feature is still rolling out.
Does setting the Shorts limit to zero remove Shorts from the home feed?
Mostly, yes. The Shorts tab shows a limit message instead of videos, and the Shorts shelf usually disappears from the home feed after you restart the app. Single Shorts can still appear in search results and on channel pages.
How do I disable YouTube Shorts on a computer?
YouTube has no Shorts setting on desktop. You can click the X on the Shorts shelf to hide it for 30 days, or install an extension like Unhook for Chrome, Edge or Firefox and turn on Hide Shorts.
Can I block YouTube Shorts but keep regular YouTube videos?
Yes, with the Shorts feed limit on mobile or an extension like Unhook on desktop. Both can be turned off easily. Tools that block at the system level, including StoicOS, block the whole YouTube app rather than just Shorts.
Does StoicOS block YouTube Shorts?
StoicOS blocks the whole YouTube app and youtube.com in the browser, so Shorts is gone along with everything else on YouTube. It can't remove only Shorts. It works on Android 9 and up and isn't available on iPhone.
