YouTube Shorts blocking works differently depending on whether you want to hide them from your own feed or prevent someone else from watching them
If you're the account owner, you can hide Shorts from your home feed using YouTube's settings, though they won't disappear entirely from the platform. If you're a parent trying to restrict what someone else watches, you'll need to use either YouTube's built-in parental controls or your device's screen time settings. YouTube does not offer a way to block Shorts globally across all users or to remove them from search results — only to reduce how often they appear in your own recommendations.
The method you choose depends on who's doing the watching and what device they're using. A desktop browser offers different options than a phone, and parental controls on an iPhone work differently than on Android.
Key Takeaways
- You can turn off Shorts recommendations in YouTube's settings on desktop or mobile, which removes them from your home feed but not from search or other parts of the app.
- YouTube's parental controls through Family Link let you restrict Shorts on a child's device, though the feature varies by device type and YouTube account age.
- On Android, you can use Google Family Link to set screen time limits and content restrictions that affect Shorts viewing.
- On iPhone or iPad, Screen Time settings can limit YouTube access, but YouTube's own parental controls are less granular than on Android.
- Blocking Shorts on a shared device requires either account-level changes or device-level restrictions — there is no single setting that affects all YouTube users on that device.
Hiding Shorts from your own YouTube home feed
On desktop, sign into your YouTube account and click your profile picture in the top right corner. Select Settings, then click Notifications in the left menu. Scroll down to find Shorts and toggle it off. This removes Shorts notifications but not Shorts from your feed itself.
To actually remove Shorts from your home feed on desktop, you need to go to Settings again, then Playback and performance, and look for any Shorts-related toggles. YouTube's interface changes frequently, so if you don't see this option, try clicking the three-dot menu next to any Shorts video in your feed and selecting Don't recommend channel or Not interested. Doing this repeatedly trains YouTube's algorithm to show you fewer Shorts.
On mobile (both iPhone and Android), open the YouTube app and tap your profile picture. Go to Settings, then Notifications, and toggle off Shorts. Like desktop, this stops notifications but not the videos themselves. To reduce Shorts in your feed, tap the three-dot menu on any Shorts video and select Not interested or Don't recommend channel.
Using YouTube's parental controls for someone else's account
If you manage a child's YouTube account through Google Family Link, you can restrict Shorts viewing. On your own device, open the Family Link app and select the child's account. Tap Controls on Google Play or YouTube (depending on your device), then look for content restrictions. You can set the account to Approved content only, which limits what videos appear, though Shorts restrictions within this setting are limited.
Family Link's Shorts controls are more effective on Android than on iOS. On Android, you can also set screen time limits that will pause YouTube entirely once time runs out. On iOS, Family Link offers fewer granular controls, so you may need to use the device's built-in Screen Time settings instead.
Family Link only works if the child's YouTube account is under 18 and was created through Family Link, or if you've added an existing account to Family Link. If the account was created independently, you cannot add parental controls retroactively through Family Link.
Blocking Shorts using device-level screen time controls
On Android, open Settings, go to Digital Wellbeing and parental controls, and tap Parental controls. Set up a PIN and create a profile for the child. You can then restrict app usage and set screen time limits. When screen time runs out, YouTube closes entirely, including Shorts.
On iPhone or iPad, open Settings, tap Screen Time, and select Turn On Screen Time if it's not already active. Tap Continue and choose whether this is a parent or child device. If it's a child device, set a Screen Time passcode. Then go to App Limits and set a daily time limit for YouTube. You can also go to Content & Privacy Restrictions and toggle on Restrict, then set the rating level for apps and websites.
Device-level controls affect all accounts on that device, so if multiple people use the phone or tablet, these restrictions apply to everyone. This is useful for shared family devices but not for controlling one person's account on a device they share with others.
What happens when you block or hide Shorts
Hiding Shorts from your feed does not delete them from YouTube or prevent you from finding them if you search for them. It only removes them from your home feed recommendations. You can still watch Shorts if someone sends you a link or if you navigate to a creator's Shorts section directly.
Parental controls and screen time limits are more restrictive. When a child's screen time runs out, they cannot access YouTube at all until the limit resets. If you've set their account to Approved content only through Family Link, Shorts may not appear in their recommendations, but the restriction depends on YouTube's content classification, which is not always accurate.
Why YouTube Shorts keep appearing despite your settings
YouTube's algorithm learns from your behavior. Even if you hide Shorts from your feed, watching a long-form video that YouTube categorizes as similar to Shorts content can cause Shorts to reappear. Clicking Not interested on individual Shorts videos helps, but you may need to do this repeatedly.
On shared devices, if another account on that device watches Shorts, YouTube may show them in the shared feed or in recommendations, depending on whether the device is logged into multiple accounts. Clearing your YouTube watch history and search history can also reset some recommendations, though this is a more drastic step.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I block YouTube Shorts for everyone on my WiFi network?
No. YouTube Shorts blocking happens at the account level or device level, not at the network level. You would need to set up parental controls on each individual device or restrict each account separately. Some routers have content filtering, but YouTube Shorts are not typically categorized in a way that allows network-level blocking.
Will blocking Shorts stop them from appearing in search results?
No. Hiding Shorts from your feed only affects your home recommendations. If you search for a topic, Shorts may still appear in the search results. You can click Not interested on individual Shorts in search, but there is no setting to remove them from search entirely.
Can I block Shorts on my child's account if they created it themselves?
Not through Family Link. Family Link only works on accounts created through the service or added before the account holder turned 18. If your child created their own account after turning 13, you cannot add parental controls through Family Link. Your options are device-level screen time controls or asking them to adjust their own settings.
Does turning off Shorts notifications stop Shorts from showing in my feed?
No. Turning off Shorts notifications only stops YouTube from sending you alerts about new Shorts. The videos will still appear in your home feed. To reduce them in your feed, use the Not interested option on individual videos or adjust your notification settings for the entire Shorts category.
What's the difference between Family Link and Screen Time for blocking Shorts?
Family Link is YouTube-specific and lets you restrict content types and set time limits within YouTube. Screen Time (iOS) or Digital Wellbeing (Android) is device-wide and pauses all apps when time runs out. Family Link gives more control over what content appears, while device-level controls are simpler but affect everything on the device.