What you can block on YouTube and where the controls are
YouTube gives you several ways to hide content you don't want to see. You can block entire channels so their videos never appear in your recommendations or search results, hide individual videos, mute comments from specific users, and restrict what shows up on your home feed. The blocking tools are scattered across different parts of the app and website — some live in video menus, others in channel pages, and some in your account settings.
Blocking is different from reporting. When you block a channel or user, YouTube hides their content from you personally. When you report something, you're telling YouTube the content may violate their rules, and YouTube's team reviews it. You can do both at the same time, but they serve different purposes.
Key Takeaways
- You can block a channel from its page or from any video it uploads, and blocked channels won't show up in your recommendations or search results.
- Blocking a user prevents their comments from appearing on videos you watch, though you can still see the video itself.
- YouTube's restricted mode filters out mature content from your home feed and recommendations, but it's not a parental control and can be turned off by anyone on the device.
- On the YouTube app, most blocking options appear in a three-dot menu next to the content you want to hide.
- Blocking only affects your own account — other people on your device or network will still see the content unless they block it themselves.
How to block an entire channel
To block a channel on the YouTube website, go to the channel's main page and look for the "About" tab. Click the flag icon next to the channel name, then select "Block user" from the menu. On the YouTube app for phone or tablet, tap the three-dot menu icon on any video from that channel and choose "Block user."
Once you block a channel, its videos won't appear in your recommendations, search results, or your home feed. If you're subscribed to the channel, you'll be unsubscribed automatically. The channel owner won't be notified that you blocked them. If you change your mind later, you can unblock the channel through your account settings under "Blocked users" — go to Settings, then Privacy, then find the list of blocked channels and click the X next to any you want to unblock.
How to block a specific user's comments
To block someone from commenting on your videos or to prevent their comments from showing up on videos you watch, find their comment and tap the three-dot menu next to it. Select "Block user" or "Hide user's comments." On the website, hover over a comment and click the three-dot menu that appears.
Blocking a user's comments doesn't block their channel or prevent you from seeing their videos — it only hides their comments from your view. If that person replies to someone else's comment, you won't see that reply either. The user won't know you've blocked them, and they can still comment on other videos; you just won't see it.
How to hide individual videos from your recommendations
On the YouTube app or website, hover over or tap the three-dot menu on any video thumbnail in your recommendations or search results. Select "Don't recommend channel" or "Not interested." This tells YouTube's algorithm to show you fewer videos like that one, though it's not as strong as blocking the entire channel.
If you select "Not interested," YouTube will ask why — you can choose "I've already watched this," "I don't like this video," or "I don't want to see this channel." Your feedback helps YouTube adjust what it recommends to you, but the video will still exist and you can still find it if you search for it. The channel owner won't see your feedback.
How to use restricted mode to filter mature content
Restricted mode is a YouTube setting that filters out videos marked as mature from your home feed, recommendations, and search results. To turn it on, scroll to the bottom of any YouTube page on the website and toggle "Restricted Mode" on. On the app, go to Settings, then General, then toggle "Restricted Mode" on.
Restricted mode is not a parental control — anyone using your device can turn it off, and it only affects the device or browser where you turned it on. If you share a device with children and want to restrict their access, you'll need to set up a separate account for them or use your device's built-in parental controls instead. Restricted mode filters based on video titles, descriptions, and user reports, so some mature content may still slip through, and some videos may be filtered incorrectly.
How to manage your blocked users list
To see everyone you've blocked and unblock them if you want, go to your YouTube account settings. On the website, click your profile picture in the top right, select "Settings," then go to "Privacy" in the left menu. You'll see a section called "Blocked users" with a list of every channel and user you've blocked.
Click the X next to any name to unblock them. On the YouTube app, go to Settings, then Account, then Privacy, then Blocked users. The process is the same — tap the X to unblock. If you unblock someone, their videos will start appearing in your recommendations again, and their comments will be visible to you. They won't be notified that you unblocked them.
What happens when you block someone versus when you report them
Blocking is personal — it only affects what you see. Reporting is telling YouTube that content may break their rules. You can block a channel because you're not interested in it, but that doesn't mean the channel violates YouTube's policies. You can also report content without blocking it.
If you report a video or channel, YouTube's team reviews it to see if it breaks their Community Guidelines. If it does, YouTube may remove the video, suspend the channel, or take other action. The person who reported it won't hear back about what happened — YouTube keeps reports confidential. If you want to both hide the content from yourself and flag it for review, you can do both: block the channel and then report the specific video.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the person I blocked see that I blocked them?
No. When you block a channel or user, YouTube doesn't notify them. They won't see any message or indicator that you've blocked them. However, if you were subscribed to their channel before you blocked them, they may notice one fewer subscriber.
If I block a channel, will it stop showing up in search results?
Yes. Blocked channels won't appear in your search results, recommendations, or home feed. However, if you search for the channel by name directly, you may still see it in the results — the block primarily affects algorithmic recommendations.
Does blocking someone on YouTube block them on other Google services?
No. Blocking on YouTube only affects YouTube. The person can still comment on your Gmail, contact you through Google Meet, or interact with you on other Google platforms. YouTube blocking is separate from your Google account's broader privacy settings.
Can I block comments from all users except people I follow?
YouTube doesn't have a built-in setting to allow comments only from followers. You can turn off comments entirely on your videos through your channel settings, or you can manually block individual users. Some creators use third-party tools or community management software to filter comments, but YouTube's native tools don't include this option.
What's the difference between "Not interested" and blocking a channel?
Blocking removes the entire channel from your recommendations and search results. "Not interested" tells YouTube's algorithm you don't want to see similar videos, but the channel can still appear if you search for it directly. Blocking is permanent until you unblock; "Not interested" is a gentler signal that adjusts your recommendations over time.